Incredible Discoveries
by CoolDiva
Summary: One night changes things between two good friends forever... but for the better or worse? RockyKatherine.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: Power Rangers aren't among my possessions.

**Author's Notes**:

Okay... why am I starting **another** fic? LOL. It's cool, though, it's cool. Anyway, I wanted to put a **Rocky/Kat** out there simply because I love both characters and neither gets enough focus in the fiction world. Oh, and the** title** **may** or **may not** change... .

**Flamers**: You know what to do. No **anonymous** negativity, please. I'd **love** to be able to respond to you personally. ;-)

**Supporters**: To those of you who like/love or are even just okay with my fics, I hope you enjoy this one. (smiles)

* * *

**Incredible Discoveries**

It was the second Saturday in July, a bright, sunny afternoon in Angel Grove, California. But twenty-six-year-old Katherine Hillard had no desire to enjoy it. The lovely, Australian blonde woman was sitting in her apartment, curled up on her couch, looking over pictures of herself and Brian Sanders- whom was now her ex-boyfriend.

'_Why_ _didn't I just stay in London? That way, we'd have never had to meet_,' the ballet teacher thought miserably. She'd come back from London over four years earlier.

She'd met and gotten involved with Brian- who was also twenty-six- two years earlier. And she'd fallen_ hard_. It wasn't hard to understand why. He'd had amazing qualities. Charming, but, not in a slick, sleazy way. Smart, funny, excellent listener. And being handsome certainly hadn't hurt matters. Anyway, the relationship Kat'd believed and hoped would last a lifetime had come crashing to an end the night before... .

'_Brian_, _are you, are you saying you wanna break up?' Kat'd asked, astonishment in her eyes._

_He'd sighed, genuine sadness in his eyes. 'I'm so, so sorry, Kat. You're really special to me. These past two years-'_

_'I'd really like it if you'd just give me a straight answer,' she'd said tightly_. _She wasn't up for_ _any speeches right now_... .

'_Fair_ _enough._ _It's not exactly about wanting to break up. We... have to. Because it isn't fair to you_,' _he'd said in a quiet voice_.

'_Brian_..._ please just tell me what you're trying to say,' she'd said slowly._

_'I'm not... Kat, my feelings aren't what they used to be. They've changed,' he'd said. It was obvious in his face and voice how much he really didn't want to be saying any of this. How much it pained him._

'_You're_... _no longer in love with me_,'_ she'd said. It was a shock she'd been able to get the words_ _out. Hurt filled her eyes... her soul._

'_I thought you were it for me. I definitely wanted you to be. But... if it's really meant to last, I don't think I'd be feeling the way I do now. I really am sorry. You're the last person in the world I ever wanted to hurt,' he'd said, his voice cracking. 'I wasn't expecting any of this to happen_.'

'_Is_ _there someone else?_' _she'd choked out. She desperately wanted to keep her composure. But it_ _was no easy task. Was she really hearing all of this? Was this really happening?_

'_No_. _No. Absolutely not_,'_ he'd said seriously_. '_It's all me. I swear_.'

'_I_ _can't believe this_,' _she'd whispered_. _Tears were threatening to make an appearance_... .

'_Neither_ _can I_,' _he'd said sadly_.

_Kat's head began spinning. She needed to be alone. She didn't want to break down in front of him. She couldn't. The last thing she needed was what she felt was the last of her dignity vanishing_. '_Brian_, _could you- I really wanna be alone_.'

_He nodded in total understanding. He knew better than to say how sorry he was again or how they could still be friends. At this particular moment, those would only be more blows to her heart. He refused to cause her more pain. He kissed her forehead softly, then, turned and headed for the door... tears in his own eyes... ._

Kat shook her head, as though trying to shake the all too recent memories from her brain. She was pretty sure she wouldn't ever stop hurting so badly. For some reason, Tommy popped into her brain. Tommy. Huh. Her breakup with him had been amicable and mutual- but that hadn't made it any less painful. She'd gone on to London and eventually moved on with her life, though. She'd seen other guys. And when Brian had come into the picture... well, he was the only other guy besides Tommy she'd ever really loved. She'd felt certain that Brian was it. That she no longer needed to search.

'_I want nothing more than for this to be a horrible dream_,' she thought as she stared down at a sweet picture of Brian and herself. They looked incredibly happy and comfortable. Very much in love. There was knocking on her door then and she looked up. Now what? She put the photographs aside, stood and headed up to the door, mumbling very un-Kat things to herself.

She unlocked and opened her door to find Tanya Park and Kimberly Scott there. She already knew why her friends were here: comfort. Everyone knew about the breakup already. Kat still wanted to be alone, but, at the same time, she was really glad they were here. She smiled faintly. "Hey."

They gave her half smiles. "Hey," they said in unison.

Kat stepped aside and they entered. "So, I sorta figured you both would be spending the day with the hubbies," she said lightly. Tanya and Adam had gotten married two and a half years ago and Tanya was six months pregnant with twins- two boys. As for jobs, Adam ran a dojo with Jason and Tanya was manager at a record company.

Tanya shrugged. "Not really. Adam's with Rocky and Zack."

"And Jason's spending some time with his brothers," Kim said. She'd married Jason a year earlier and she worked as a personal shopper.

Kat nodded and her friends looked at each other, then, back at her. Tanya stepped up and hugged her. Then, Kim hugged her. "I'm glad you stopped by," Kat said softly.

"We're really sorry, Kat," Kim said, shaking her head.

"Yeah. I really thought you and Brian... I wasn't expecting this," Tanya said to her best friend.

"That makes the two of us," Kat said with a small, sad smile. "Well, why don't we all sit down?" She sat down in a chair and her friends sat down on the couch. Kim noticed the pictures first and bit her lower lip.

'_They_ _look like they're the only two people on the planet in those pictures. God, I can't even imagine how_ _she's feeling right now. We're really gonna have to be here for her. We can help her through_ _this_,' Kim thought, nodding slowly.

"Oh, what am I thinking? Are you two thirsty or anything? Tanya, do you want anything to eat? Gotta keep my godkids healthy," Kat said.

Tanya shook her head and smiled. Leave it to Kat to think about everybody but herself no matter what she'd gone through. "We're okay, girl. We're here for you," she said warmly, reaching out to squeeze her friend's hand.

* * *

Rocky DeSantos entered the Stone Canyon cafe later that evening with a sigh. He'd moved back to Stone Canyon- where Adam and Tanya lived as well- six years ago and worked as a chef. Anyway, he'd come to the cafe to get a little dinner to go. He'd always loved this place and hadn't had any food from here in awhile. 

Just as he was about to head up to the counter, he noticed a blonde woman sitting alone at a table- staring at her obviously untouched plate. Kat. Sympathy instantly filled Rocky. What had happened was really, really messed up and shocking. Surprise joined Rocky's sympathy. What was she doing at this particular cafe?

'_Maybe she was visiting with Tanya or something_,' he thought. He'd kind of figured she'd want to stay cooped up in her apartment all weekend long. He swallowed hard and made his way over to his friend. "Hey, Kat."

She looked up and smiled a little. "Hi, Rocky."

"I'm, uh, a little surprised to see you here," he said.

"Not as surprised as I am to be here. I really hadn't plan on going anywhere at all this weekend. I don't know what made me change my mind. Maybe I was just a little worried I'd go crazy if I stayed in there another second. Why Stone Canyon? For some reason, it was the first destination to pop into my mind," she said, now moving her food around on her plate.

"Want some company?" he asked. Sure, he'd plan to get some food to go, but, now that he'd noticed that Kat was here... well, he just didn't want to leave her alone.

"Sure," she said softly.

He sat down across from her, then, cleared his throat. "Kat, I know you're probably already sick of hearing this, but... I'm really sorry about Brian," he said seriously.

"Thanks. Me, too," she said just as the waitress came over.

"Hi. What can I get you?" the waitress asked Rocky.

"Just a Coke, double cheeseburger and chili cheese fries," he said. The girl nodded, scribbled on the small notepad and headed off.

Rocky looked back at his friend and his chest tightened a little. He felt awful for her. Kat was such a great person and she'd lost the guy she felt she was supposed to be with. Huh. Rocky was hoping to find his own "one" soon. He really wanted what his friends had. But, so far, he hadn't come across anybody he could actually see himself with for life. Before he'd come to the cafe, he'd actually been thinking a lot about this.

"Rocky?" Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, um, yeah. Yeah. I'm good," he said, feeling guilty. '_I_ _can't believe I'm sitting here thinking about_ _myself and Kat's in pain_.'

"Are you sure?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow slightly.

"Well, truth is... I was thinking of how I've been wondering lately if I'll ever find the right person and that was selfish. I'm sorry. You've just been hurt-" he was saying.

"It's okay, Rocky. That's not selfish. You're a really good person and I'm sure you'll find that lucky girl soon," she said, managing a genuinely warm smile.

"Thanks, but, you don't have to do that. I mean, I'm not the one who needs encouraging words right now. Kat, you're heartbroken," he said.

She sighed. "Rocky, how could I have not seen this coming? How could I have missed the signs? I'm blind as a bat."

He shook his head. "No. You were just in love."

"And I never saw that he no longer was. I feel like a fool," she said, her voice cracking a little.

"You're not a fool, Kat," he said, his heart twisting. He thought of something then. "Listen, why don't we go to my place and talk more or something? I'll just ask for a to-go box." This just wasn't the place to be talking about this.

She nodded. "Okay," she said, her voice sounding distant.

* * *

A short while later, the two former ragers were sitting on the sofa in his apartment, talking. Kat was feeling a_ little_ bit better than she'd expected to. It'd been good talking to Tanya and Kim earlier, but, it felt kind of different with Rocky. Maybe it was because he was a guy. 

"You just have to remember that I'm here for you. So are the guys. If you need us for anything-" he was saying.

"I know. Thanks, Rocky. And thanks for inviting me over," she said. She did still feel like curling up into a ball and disappearing, though.

"No problem," he said with a smile.

"It just hurts so much," she said, staring at the coffee table. "It feels like my heart's been snatched right out of my chest. It was supposed to last, Rocky. It was supposed to last. How could he not..." her voice trailed off into heart-wrenching sobs to her surprise. Rocky wordlessly pulled her into his arms and she almost easily accepted the physical comfort.

'_Great_._ Zack and I are supposed to be the guys who can cheer everybody up with no problem at all and I have no idea what to say to her_,' he thought. Saying that everything was going to be okay didn't seem like the best way to go right now for some reason. He just tightened his hold on her and let her cry it all out. Maybe this was exactly what she needed. Hopefully. He just wanted to make her feel better- even if only for a while.

When the sobs had subsided, she looked up at him. "Thanks for letting me soak your shirt," she said with a weak smile.

He laughed. "Anytime," he quipped- receiving a small laugh from her. "Nice sound," he said seriously.

"Isn't it?" she agreed. Too bad she wouldn't feel like really laughing for probably a long time to come. She was grateful that Rocky was being Rocky, though. And the fact that he'd held her without saying a word... well, that'd been just the right thing to do. They just smiled and stared at each other. '_He's_ _so cute_.' Whoa. Where had that thought come from? She'd always thought he was cute, but, why was she thinking about it right now?

He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and his smile began fading slowly. Thinking about how gorgeous she was and how good she felt in his arms probably wasn't the best thing to be doing right about now. But, he couldn't help himself. He also couldn't stop himself from leaning in at that particular moment... .

When his lips touched hers, she tensed slightly with surprise... but, relaxed and gave into it a few moments later. She didn't feel like being rational. Not now. She didn't want to think about Brian. Not now. She wanted to focus on the here and now... so, she deepened the kiss. Rocky pulled away when things began really heating up.

"Oh, man! Kat, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I don't kow what the hell's my problem. I-" he was saying.

"Rocky, I liked it," she found herself saying. His eyebrows shot up. "A lot," she said.

"Me, too," he admitted. "Too much, in fact."

She nodded, knowing _exactly_ what he meant. She was feeling it herself. "Rocky," she breathed, slowly stroking his arm.

"Kat, if you keep that up... look, I don't wanna take advantage of you," he said.

"I'm giving you the advantage," she said, standing. He stood as well- slowly. She ran her fingers through his hair.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Positive. I really don't wanna think about anything else right now," she said. He took her hand and she let herself be led to his bedroom.

* * *

**If things seemed kinda fast, life moves, right? Now, if her ex makes another appearance in the story, he will NOT be crazy, LOL. I'll attempt to make him as normal as possible. Anyway, hope this was cool.**


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the second chapter.

Shoutouts to all my amazing supporters.

Hope ya like!

* * *

Katherine's blue eyes opened slowly. The blonde yawned, then, took notice of the fact that she was in a room that was obviously not hers. What? She shook her head, as though she was trying to shake away the grogginess and confusion. When she felt something stir next to her, she quickly turned to see a sleeping Rocky. Kat was about to frown until memories from the night before began filling her brain... oh. Her face heated up a little and she sat up straight. 

'_I really wasn't thinking straight at all last night. I wasn't even really thinking_!' she thought. But who could blame her after what had happened with Brian? Well, he certainly hadn't been on her mind last night during... . She was grateful for the break from having to think about Brian and exactly what had gone wrong between them. She was grateful for Rocky. She never thought they'd spend the night together, but... well, she was still lucky to have him as a friend. He'd been so sweet.

"Kat?"

She looked to her right to see him yawning and sitting up straight. A half-smile appeared on her face- which was still a little warm.

"Morning," she said softly.

"Morning," he said, stretching. He looked around his bedroom, then, down at his bare chest. Kat was wearing one of his t-shirts. When images from the night before began flooding his mind, a wave of shyness crashed over him. Yeah, shyness. Him. Of all people. It was one emotion he'd never been very familiar with. He cleared his throat and rubbed his hands over his face. "Look, Kat-"

"Rocky, I-" she began at the same time. They both fell silent and looked at each other.

"Go ahead," Rocky said.

"No, it's okay. You can go first. Really," she said.

He took a deep breath. "Well, I just want you to know that I'm sorry. I feel like I took advantage-"

"Again, Rocky, you were given the advantage. It's really all right. Actually, I wanna thank you because, well, in a way, I think what happened last night was exactly what I needed," she said. It was true. The whole thing was still kind of weird, but, she was telling the truth.

"Uh, did- nah, forget it," he said. What was he thinking? This wasn't just some normal situation for them. He couldn't ask that.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"I don't want you to think I'm a jerk," he said.

"You'll have to work pretty hard to ever make me think that," she said, squeezing his shoulder.

He smiled a little at that. "Well, I was gonna ask... how was- well, did you-"

Kat- who got what he was trying to say- couldn't help grinning. It was cute how he was fumbling. "Nothing to worry about, Rocky. You_ passed_." He grinned almost sheepishly and that only seemed to make him even cuter.

Rocky got out of the bed and stood. "Well, hope you're hungry 'cause I'm gonna get started on breakfast. If you're not hungry, you can get your thrills outta watching _me_ eat."

Kat laughed. "That's _always_ been thrilling," she quipped as she got out of bed as well. He laughed, then, led the way out of the room.

* * *

"I still don't get why _we're_ here," Zack Taylor said in irritation to his best friend that afternoon. 

"Because we don't have a choice, man," Jason told the dance instructor with a laugh.

Zack, Aisha Campbell, Kim and Jason had arrived at the furniture store in Angel Grove Mall about an hour earlier. Both Kim and Aisha desired new sofas and they'd insisted that their other halves come along for the ride. Zack and Aisha had gotten together two years earlier and engaged a few months ago. Aisha was a veterinarian. Anyway, the original black and red rangers had gotten bored not even five minutes after arriving.

"And you know that we're not gonna be "just furniture shopping" like they claimed. We're in their house of worship," Zack said, shaking his head.

"You said it. Man. What would they do if malls weren't allowed in California?" Jason said.

Zack's eyes widened in horror at the thought. "I know what I'd do. Run." Jason laughed and nodded. Zack looked over at his fiancee and lifelong friend. They were talking heatedly about a plum-colored sofa. Aisha looked over and met his eyes. She grinned and gestured for him to come over. He groaned and headed over.

Jason started to laugh at his "tortured" friend until his wife turned and gestured for him to come over as well. Jason sighed and followed Zack.

"Aisha and I were saying how great this couch would look in our living room, Jase. What do you guys think?" Kim asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"It's cool," Zack said with a shrug.

"Yeah, sure, why not?" Jason said indifferently.

Aisha and Kim rolled their eyes at each other. "Men," they said in unison. Then, Aisha looked at her fiance and friend.

"The least you two could do is _act_ like you care," she said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Tell me about it," Kim said. "Jase, this is important."

"Yeah, man. Furniture's life and death. Don't you know that by now?" Zack said, mock disbelief. He and Jason slapped palms and laughed.

"If you two keep it up, we're making you come to the shoe store with us," Aisha warned lightly. Not surprisingly, the laughter stopped abruptly and the former yellow ranger smiled triumphantly.

"Kim, if this is the couch you want, get it," Jason said. "Anything's fine with me."

"Anything, huh? What'd you say to a yellow sofa with purple polka dots?" Kim said with a smirk.

"Hey, if it means my butt has something to sit on while I watch TV, I say: bring it on," Jason said- causing his wife and friends to laugh.

* * *

It was now six days later- Saturday morning- and Rocky and Kat hadn't brought up their night together again. Nor had they told their friends or saw any real reason to. Anyway, Rocky'd just showered and when he exited the bathroom- towel wrapped around his waist- his telephone began ringing. He sort of hurried into his bedroom and up to his nightstand. 

"Who the..." he wondered aloud as he stared at the unfamiliar number on the caller ID. He pressed the "talk" button. "Hello?"

"Hey, cutie!" came an extremely cheerful, female voice.

Rocky frowned in confusion. The voice sounded familiar, but, he couldn't quite place it. "Uh, who's this?"

"You don't know who I am? That hurts, Wockeee," she said.

Realization filled him then. "Oh. Hey, Cait." He and Caitlin Buchanan- who was twenty-five and a masseuse- had been seeing each other on and off for the last year. It wasn't serious and they'd agreed it wouldn't be from the start. They were kind of each others' stand-in date. Basically, each others', well, booty call. Rocky was fine with that because while she was a decent enough person on the surface and all, she wasn't somebody a guy could have a serious relationship with. And she was kind of annoying.

"_Helloooooooo_? Rocky Balboa, are you still there?" she asked.

"Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. So, I haven't heard from you in a few weeks. Whatcha been up to?" he asked, only mildly interested.

She laughed and he couldn't help wincing a little. Her laugh was so high-pitched. "Oh, not _muuuuch_. I've been looking for another apartment."

"Oh, yeah? The one you're in now is pretty cool. Why do you wanna move?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"Because of a stupid rent raise. Can you believe it? This place isn't even all that great anyway," she said, scoffing.

"Man, that sucks. I bet your landlord just loves his job," Rocky said with a slight laugh.

She laughed as if Rocky'd told the world's funniest joke and he shook his head. "God, Rockyyyyy! You're so _funny_!"

"I'm just a hoot and a half," he said dryly. When more loud, annoying, ear-splitting laughter sounded on the other end, he held the phone away from his ear slightly. '_Whew_! _I'm almost scared to see_ _how she'd react to a real joke_,' he thought. "So, how's the apartment search going so far?" he asked once he felt his ear ready to do its job of hearing again.

"Crappy!" she yelled.

"Where've you been look-" he began.

"And you know what else? I need to go grocery shopping! My fridge is almost _compleeeetely_ empty. Sucks!" she said in her overexuberant way.

"An empty fridge definitely doesn't work. Something like that should be illegal," he said, meaning it- considering. "So, back to the apartment search, where've-" He was cut off by a loud scream. He gripped the phone tighter. "What happened?"

"I'm almost outta soap," she said with an almost dramatic sigh.

Almost out of... "Oh. Talk about cause for a panic attack," he said, unable to resist.

"Oh! I just remembered why I called you! My mind's all over the place, so, that's why I didn't say anything right away. You know how it is. I mean, sometimes, I'll call someone and _why_ I called will never even come up in the conversation. Why? 'Cause I can't remember! _Craaaaazy_, huh? There was this one time I called this friend of mine- Bianca- and I- wait. Wait a minnnnurino! I've told you about her, haven't I? Actually, I think you guys've met. Yeah! You guys met a few months ago. She's a redhead. Green eyes. Remember her? Well, you probably don't since she didn't stick around for very long and you guys only met once. You'd looooove her! She rocks. In fact, I really think that-" Cait was rambling.

"Cait, Cait!" he cut in. "Hit the brakes there, will ya?" he said with a laugh. He knew _he'd_ always been the energetic type, but, damn!

"Oops!" she said with that flesh-crawling laugh. "Anyway, how 'bout we get together later on tonight for drinks or whatever?"

"Sure," he said. Why not? He had nothing better to do anyway.

* * *

_She was walking down a long, well-lit corridor. She was dressed in a long, flowing, silk, white nightgown. There was soft music playing. She had no idea where she was or where she was going. She looked around with a frown on her face. Why was she here? What was here? What was going on? She suddenly heard laughter. _

_She stopped in her tracks and a slightly warbled voice told her to keep going. Huh? She looked up. Who'd just said that? Was she in heaven or something? But she wasn't dead... was she? What in the world was going on here? She heard the laughter once again and narrowed her eyes. Then, she began running down the hall. When she reached the end, she turned to her right to see a little girl standing in the doorway. She looked about four or five and she was all dressed in white. Blond hair, brown eyes. Big grin on her face._

_"Who are you?" she asked the child. But she somehow felt like she already knew the answer. This child felt strongly familiar._

_The little girl just giggled and hugged the woman. Then, she turned and ran- ignoring pleas to_ _come back. _

_"Hey!" the woman yelled._

_"I'll be back!" the little girl yelled back cheerfully... ._

* * *

Kat awoke with a start, breathing heavily. A dream. It'd been a dream. A very weird dream. Why would she have such a crazy dream? Had it been something she'd eaten? Drank? A movie she'd watched? What? She sighed and slowly lay down on the bed again and turned onto her side. 

'_Well_, _I'm not in the mood to try and figure it out right now_,' she thought as she yawned and closed her eyes.

* * *

**All I can say is ya gotta add a lil crazy humor sometimes- as far as Cait goes. A crazy ex may not appear, but, that doesn't mean somebody in the fic won't be a lil out there, LOL! Well, Cya!**


	3. Chapter 3

And here's the next chapter. Guess everybody should enjoy these quick updates as much as possible. LOL.

Big thanks to all readers/reviewers. Now this plot line is kinda, well, overdone, but, I figured I'd just go ahead with it anyway. (shrugs). After all, never seen it done with this particular pairing.

On I go... .

* * *

It was now the third Saturday in September and there was a light, steady rainfall outside. Rocky, Cait, Tommy and Trisha Meadows were currently sitting in Adam and Tanya's living room, just hanging out, basically. Trisha- who worked as a physical therapist- was Tommy's girlfriend of ten months. Anyway, Cait was talking a mile a minute about one of her neighbors- she'd yet to move out of her apartment. 

"And would you believe he had the _nerve_ to threaten to call the cops on us?" Cait exclaimed, her gray eyes wide. "It wasn't even a really loud and noisy party! He's just an old grouch who hates fun. Right, Rocky?" she said, elbowing him in the ribs.

Rocky- who'd sort of tuned her out around the time she was telling a story about an eighty-two-year-old massage client- blinked a couple times and sat up straight. "Uh, yeah. Yeah." He noticed his friends trying not to laugh at his obvious disinterest. Rocky really wasn't trying to be rude, but, Cait really needed to give it a rest. '_And_ _I don't even remember asking her to come here with me_!'

"But we didn't care, though. Nope. We kept right on partying," Cait said, nodding. Then, her eyes widened and she turned to Rocky. "I just remembered what I wanted to tell you! You know how I am sometimes. Space case, space caaaase," she said with a laugh. She grinned at Rocky's friends. "Sometimes, my brain takes loooooong vacations!"

'_Get outta here_,' Tommy thought sarcastically. But, he just smiled like everyone else. He still couldn't help wondering if she'd ever heard of commas... .

"Seriously! Like, this one time, I-" Cait began.

"Uh, Cait?" Rocky cut in. She looked at him. "You said you wanted to tell me something," he said. "What is it?"

_'That she really is a visitor from Venus_?' Tanya couldn't help thinking. Cait was... something.

"Oh, right! Got off track again. Sillyyyy," Cait said with a laugh. Then, she grinned. "Okay. I think that you and I should live together!"

Tommy and Adam's jaws dropped while Tanya and Trisha's eyes nearly popped right out of their heads. What? Was she serious? They looked at each other, then, Rocky- who was gaping at Cait in disbelief. Whew!

"You... _huh_?" he said, scrunching his face up.

"Well, we've known each other for quite a while now, right? We get along great, right? We're friends, right? Right?" Cait said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah. But-" he began.

"Then, why not be roommates? It's the perfect solution!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "Adam, what do you think?"

"Oh. Uh, I-" he began.

"And what about you three?" Cait asked Tommy, Trisha and Tanya. Before any of them could reply, Cait turned back to Rocky. "Rocky, nobody sees any real reason for us not to be roommates."

"Cait, you're talking about living together. _Living_ together," he said.

"Yeah. So?" she said with a shrug.

"I don't think it's the best idea for either one of us," he said.

"Why not? Worried I'll cramp your style, bachelor?" she teased. Then, she rolled her eyes and laughed loudly. "Rockyoyo, relax. We can still live our own lives, ya know."

"Cait, you have tons of friends. People you've known a lot longer than me. Why-" he was saying.

"But I'd rather have you as a roomie- trust me," she said.

"Look-" he began.

"I'll give you a few days to think it over," she said. Then, she grinned at Adam and Tanya. "I bet you two are psyched! In a few months, you're gonna have not one, but, _two_ widdle ones to be Mommy and Daddy to."

"We're really happy," Adam said with a polite smile.

"Of course!" Cait squealed. "Tanya, I bet those totally excruciating labor pains are gonna be worth it when you see those little faces. Aww!"

"Cait, listen to me. I don't need a few days. I'm sorry, but, I'm not into it," Rocky said.

Cait frowned. "Into what? Twins?"

'_Wow_,' Trisha thought, exchanging a glance with Tommy.

Rocky took a deep breath. "I'm talking about the roommate deal."

"Don't be so hasty," Cait said in a singsong voice. She laughed. "Trust me. You'll see what a great idea it is in a few days."

Rocky groaned inwardly. '_And they say a lotta **guys** can't take no for an answer_.'

* * *

'_Oh_, _God_,' Katherine thought a couple hours later for probably the millionth time. She was standing in her bathroom, studying her reflection in the mirror. The shock had yet to wear off. But, at the same time, she knew she shouldn't be shocked. After all, no real thinking or protection had been used that night... . She closed her eyes. 

Nine weeks pregnant. The doctor had informed of this earlier today- she'd gone on account of not feeling well, of course. Pregnant. She was pregnant. The second she'd stepped into her apartment after leaving the doctor's, a million thoughts began running through her head. She'd have to quit teaching ballet. What would she do until she was able to teach it again? What would everyone- especially Rocky- say? Would she need a bigger place? Et cetera, et cetera... .

It was weird, though. This pregnancy was unplanned, unexpected. But not once had abortion or adoption crossed her mind. In spite of everything, she wasn't interested in either option. She wanted to keep this baby... but, would Rocky? She knew he'd never leave her to deal with everything alone, but, what if he really didn't want to be a father right now? She had mixed feelings about his reaction.

'_I'm not ready to tell him just yet. I won't wait too long, though_,' she thought as she opened her eyes. Not that she could wait too long anyway. She looked down at her flat belly. She couldn't believe there was a living thing inside of her. Well, she did want to tell someone.

'_Tanya_. _I'll talk to Tanya_,' she thought, nodding. Her best friend was the perfect choice. Kat turned and exited the bathroom. When she reached her bedroom, she sat on her bed and picked up her cordless phone and dialed the Parks' number.

"Hello?" came Tanya's voice after three rings.

"Hi, Tanya. It's me," Kat said, placing her hand on her belly.

"Hey there! Haven't heard from ya in awhile, stranger. Everything all right?" Tanya asked.

Kat sighed. "I don't know yet."

"What do you mean?" Tanya asked in concern.

"Well, I've been feeling rotten lately, so, I went to the doctor's today," Kat said, rubbing her belly now.

"What's wrong?" Tanya asked, the concern in her voice getting stronger.

"I'm pregnant, Tanya," she whispered. She was met with silence. She bit her lower lip and waited for her friend's reaction.

"Well, that's great, Kat! I know it's not the perfect time for a baby now since you and Brian broke up, but, babies are always great. And you know we'll all be here for you. And I know Brian will do his part. Have you told him yet?" Tanya asked.

"No. And I don't ever have to if I don't want to," Kat said quietly.

"Uh, Kat-" Tanya began.

"Brian's not the father, Tanya," Kat said. Again, she was met with silence. It was a different kind of silence this time, though. Tanya finally spoke up after what seemed like an eternity.

"You're really throwing serious bombshells, aren't cha, girl?" she said with a slight laugh.

"Don't I know it," Kat said.

"Well... my only question is: who's the daddy?" Tanya asked.

And here it came. Kat took a deep breath. "Rocky."

* * *

**More to come sooner or later.**


	4. Chapter 4

I know I just updated this fic a couple days ago, but, oh, well

Shoutouts to all readers/reviewers. Thanks for the support.

On I go...

**

* * *

**

Kat gripped her phone tightly and closed her eyes. She wasn't surprised in the least that her best friend wasn't responding. She could just see Tanya's expression right now. Kat almost laughed out loud at the mental image. But humor needed to be put on the backburner right now. She opened her eyes again and stared at her nightstand. She really wanted Tanya to say something- anything- but, at the same time, she wasn't exactly in a huge rush. It finally came after what seemed like a quarter of a century... .

"Kat?"

"Yeah?" Kat said.

"Did you just say Rocky was the father or are my ears playing a few tricks on me?" Tanya asked.

"No tricks, Tan. Rocky's definitely the father. We... a couple months ago, we slept together," Kat said.

"But- who- what did- how did it even- huh?" Tanya said incredulously.

Kat couldn't help laughing this time. "I know. It kinda blew us away, too. It happened the night after my breakup with Brian. I saw Rocky in a cafe in Stone Canyon and we started talking. Then, we ended up at his apartment and... oh. This sounds like something on TV." She groaned and shook her head. "Anyway, I started crying about Brian and Rocky just held me. Next thing I know, we're just looking and grinning at each other. We kissed and it left us wanting more. So... you know the rest."

"Whoa. Just... whoa. Girl, this is... whoa. I don't even really know what to say," Tanya said.

Kat sighed. "We weren't thinking of the consequences, only each other. And here I am... pregnant with my friend's child."

"Well, it's gonna blow Rocky's mind, but, you know he's not gonna turn his back on you," Tanya said.

"I know," Kat said softly. They fell silent for a few moments. Then, she spoke up again. "Tanya, could you not tell Adam yet? I don't want anybody else to know until after I tell Rocky- which I may as well do as soon as possible."

"These lips are sealed, Zeo One," her friend said- causing her to smile.

"Thanks," Kat said gratefully.

"No problem. But, while we're on the subject of Rocky, he came over today- with Cait. Tommy and Trish came, too. Anyway, you'll never believe what Lady Tongue Everlasting said," Tanya said.

"What?" Kat asked, laughing at Tanya's nickname for Cait. It definitely fit!

"She thinks they should be roommates," Tanya said. Kat's eyebrows shot up. "Rocky's against it- completely. But she's not havin' it. She thinks we all agree that it makes sense for them to live together and told Rocky she'd give him a few days to think it over."

"Cait gives "pushy" a whole new meaning. I hope Rocky sticks to his guns. Nobody can take that woman a daily basis," Kat said, shaking her head. "Rocky'd end up trying to kill himself."

"No doubt," Tanya said with a laugh.

The two women chatted for a few minutes longer, then, said their goodbyes. Kat took a deep breath and stared at the phone in her hand. Should she just call Rocky right now? That was probably the best idea. And at least it'd get his mind off of Cait. Besides, the sooner, the better. She nodded, took another deep breath and dialed his phone number.

"Hello?" came his voice after a few rings.

"Hey, Rocky. It's me," she said, her heart rate picking up a little.

"Hey, Kat. What's up?" he asked lightly.

"Well, I really need to talk to you and it's not something that should be done over the phone, so, I'll come over if-" she was saying.

"No, it's cool. I'll come to you," he said. "Is anything wrong?"

"Not exactly," she said.

"Oh. Well, I'll be over soon. Do you need me to pick up anything? Have you eaten?" he asked.

She smiled at his sweetness. "Thanks, but, you don't have to get anything. I'll fix myself something later."

"Well, I'll be there as soon as I can, then," he said. They exchanged goodbyes.

Kat heard knocking at her door a short while later and she headed up to it. She swallowed hard, then, unlocked and opened it. Rocky grinned at her. She noticed he was holding a bag.

"Come on in," she said, stepping aside. "What's that?"

"I know you said I didn't have to get you anything, but, I did anyway," he said with a shrug. "It's Chinese."

Kat laughed and took the bag. "Actually, I'm glad you did because there's nothing in my fridge that I want," she admitted- causing him to laugh. "Thanks, Rocky. This was really sweet of you." He just shrugged again and smiled. She gestured towards the couch. "Well, let's sit down. Why didn't you get yourself anything?"

"Oh, I'm not hungry," he said as they sat down. Then, he blinked. "Who just said that?" They both laughed. "So... what's up?" he asked her.

Kat sat the bag on the coffee table, then, sat up straighter. "All right. Rocky, remember when we were... together?" Okay, she knew he did. But she couldn't think of any other way to start for some reason.

"Too hard to forget," he said- causing her to blush a little.

"Well... what happened that night didn't end that night," she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked, frowning a little.

And here it came. "I mean... I'm pregnant." His jaw dropped. "I'd been feeling kinda rotten, so, I went to the doctor's today and was told that I'm nine weeks pregnant."

Rocky just gaped at her, unable to help himself. Pregnant. Pregnant. Okay, he was shocked, but, he wasn't surprised. At all. Wow... . He slid his gaze over to the coffee table. Pregnant. They'd conceived a child together. Him and Kat? She was pregnant with his child. Like right _now_! He could feel her eyes on him and just knew she was a little wary about his reaction. He looked at her again.

"I, um, don't really know what to say," he said slowly.

"Understandable," she said. "But, Rocky, even though I wasn't expecting parenthood right now, I wanna keep it."

"Kat, you know I'd never ask you to give it up. Besides, I wasn't expecting parenthood, either. But the idea of being a dad- even though I just found out about it- is pretty exciting, ya know?" he said as the shock began wearing off slowly but surely.

She smiled and nodded. "I know what you mean. I like the idea of being a mom- even though it means changes. Like getting another job for example. I have no idea what-"

"Don't even worry about that. You'll find something 'cause you're qualified for more than you think, Kat. You'd be fantastic at a lotta things. And I'm gonna be there every step of the way. You're gonna be fine," he assured her. He thought of something else, then, and opened his mouth to speak. "I- no, no, never mind."

"What is it?" she asked.

"I was thinking that- well, since we- it'd make things easier. But I don't know if you'd go for it. I just wanna help however I can..." his voice trailed off.

"Rocky, it's okay. You can tell me," she said.

He took a deep breath, then, looked into her eyes. "Marry me."

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

And here's the next installment of the RocKat tale. :-)

The support is much appreciated and I really hope it keeps coming.

On with the show...

* * *

Katherine stared at her friend in astonishment. Had he really just... . Maybe _her_ ears were playing tricks on her. Marry me? Rocky'd just proposed- sort of. Marry him... . She had not expected him to say that. She wasn't exactly sure _what_ she'd been expecting, but, marriage had definitely been the absolute very last thing. Wow. 

Rocky stared back at the blonde, mentally cursing. Why had he said that? She'd probably never go for it. '_I_ _should've kept my mouth shut_.' But the thought had sprang into his brain without warning! And it'd just seemed like the thing to say for some reason... it also seemed like the thing to do.

Kat finally managed to find her voice. "Marry you?"

"Uh..." he said, his pulse racing wildly.

"Rocky, that's really sweet- shocking, but sweet- but... are you sure you wanna do that?" she asked, lifting her eyebrows.

"I just know that I wanna do whatever's right. I wanna be a good parent and give this baby the best of me. I wanna be there for you and... listen, Kat, if you don't wanna do it, that's cool. I won't push you. But I really think it could work out. Especially since we're not strangers or anything," he said.

"Actually, I'm more concerned about _you_. Rocky, how are you gonna meet the right woman if you marry me? I don't wanna do that to you. It's a really major sacrifice-" she was saying.

"I appreciate the concern, Kat, but... I can deal. Besides, my child's way more important to me. Being a good father is important to me," he said honestly.

"And being a good mother is very important to me, but... well, what about everything else? We'd be a family, but... what about being in love?" she said.

Rocky sighed. "Well, that's a good point. But life's full of surprises, so... you never know." Her eyes widened and he shrugged. "I'm just saying that anything's possible. I mean, we never thought we'd sleep together, but, we did."

"You think we'll eventually fall in love," she said, half-smiling.

"Always expect the unexpected, right? But if you're not comfortable with it, I'll drop the subject and never bring it up again," he said, meaning it.

Kat bit her lower lip and trained her eyes on her lap. She was really touched by his proposal and he was right- they weren't strangers and anything was definitely possible. It was just all so... unbelievable. Married. Her and Rocky. Suddenly, a frown lit Kat's face and she looked at her friend. "Rocky?"

"Yeah?"

"Tanya- who knows I'm pregnant and that you're the father, by the way- told me that you, Cait, Tommy and Trish came over earlier today. I hear Cait wants to live with you," Kat said with an amused smile. Rocky groaned and her amusement grew. "Is that part of the reason for the proposal?"

"No. No way. Kat, I didn't do it to get Cait off my back. I swear. Okay. I admit that it's a bonus, but, she has nothing to do with it," he said, shaking his head.

"It's okay, Rocky," she said with a laugh. "Even if she was the reason, I wouldn't be mad because I really don't blame you for not wanting to be her roommate."

"She's a loon," he said.

"Don't wait for an argument from me," Kat said with a grin. Then, she cleared her throat and sat up straight. "Listen, Rocky, can you give me a few days to think over the proposal?"

"Of course," he said, nodding. At least she hadn't flat out said no. He was grateful for that. "It's only natural you'd need a little time," he said. She nodded. Then, he sighed and stood. "Well, I guess I better head. Enjoy the food, ballerina." She smiled at that.

"I will. Thanks again for getting me the food," she said, standing as well.

"Don't mention it," he said as they walked up to the door. Just as she was about to open the door, Rocky placed his hand on her belly and she looked at him. "I can't believe my kid's in there," he said in the softest tone she'd ever heard from him. There was a look of wonder on his face. Kat placed her hand on his and their eyes locked. "I can't wait to see it," he said.

"Neither can I," she said. Then, her eyes widened and she gasped.

"What is it?" Rocky asked in a concerned tone.

"I... I've seen her already," she said.

"Her?" he said.

"A couple months ago, I had this dream. I was walking down this long hallway and there was music playing. It sounded kinda familiar, but, I couldn't place it. It was really beautiful and soothing, though. I heard laughter and I started running down the hall. I found this adorable little girl standing in a doorway. She was just smiling at me. Brown eyes, blonde hair. I remember everything so clearly. I remember feeling _connected_ to her. Then, she hugged me, turned and took off. I screamed for her to come back... and she said: 'I'll be back,'" Kat said. She knew that dream had symbolized something... .

"_Wow_. That's really... wow. So, you think we're having a daughter," he said.

"I really do. I know it sounds a little crazy, but-" Kat was saying.

"Kat?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"We were Power Rangers," he said simply.

Kat laughed and nodded. "True. Translation: we should never have any problems believing the unbelievable." He nodded and smiled. "But I really do think we're having a little girl and I got to see what she'd look like at... five, I believe. She's gonna be beautiful."

"She doesn't have a choice. Look at her mommy," he said.

"Her daddy isn't exactly hard on the eyes," she said, playfully punching his shoulder.

"I_ knew_ you had a crush on me! I'm so telling the football team," he said, his eyes dancing. She laughed and he grinned. "I'm gonna get going now. But, before I do, know this. You could do a_ lot_ worse than Rocky DeSantos, Miss Dancing Babe," he said with mock cockiness- causing them both to laugh. He took a turn for the serious and squeezed her hand. "Call me if you need anything. I don't care what time it is."

"Will do," she said. Then, she kissed his cheek and hugged him. "See ya."

"See ya," he said. He gave her one last smile, opened the door and exited the apartment.

* * *

Rocky opened the door to his apartment some time later to find Cait standing there. Oh, man. What was she doing here? "Cait, what are-" 

"I wanted to talk more about the roommate deal and other things," she said, breezing past him and into the apartment. He closed the door and turned to look at the smiling brunette.

"Cait, you said you'd give me a few days to think it over- even though I don't need them! I told you already that I don't want us to live together," he said, trying his damnedest not to start screaming and pulling his hair out.

"Rockyyyyyy-" she began.

"No. No "Rockyyyyyy", all right? I like you and I have a lotta fun with you, but, we can't live together," he said.

"Look, you just need a few days! And you'll see-" she began.

"I'm gonna be a father," he said.

Her jaw dropped. "What?"

"A couple months ago, Kat and I slept together," he said. Cait's eyes grew wide. "I don't wanna get into any details right now, but, the fact is, we slept together and she's nine weeks pregnant."

"Wowwwwww! You and Kat, huh? You're gonna be a daddy! Rocky! That's _fantaaaastic_! You'll be an awwwwwwesome father!" Cait said, grinning. She squealed excitedly and gave him a suffocating hug. "This is so great! This is so great! Great! Whoooo!!" Then, she released him and shook her head. "This is just _amaaaazing_! A baby! Two great things are happening. We're gonna live together and a_ baby_! _This_ is-"

"I suggested that Kat and I get married and she might agree to it," Rocky said, looking into her eyes. Cait's smile faded and so did the radiant light in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said with a laugh. "What did you just say?"

"Kat and I might be getting married," he said.

"Married. Rocky, that's... wow. That's, um... are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, it's the twenty-first century, for crying out loud! What you wanna do is all honorable and everything or whatever, but, you don't _have_ to be married to be parents to that baby," Cait said, throwing her hands up. Her ditziness had to take a backseat right now!

"I know that, Cait. I didn't propose in order to keep Kat from being "shamed" or stoned by the townspeople!" he exclaimed. Geez! This woman was just so... _whoa_!

"Then, why? Why? Huh? Why did you do it? Why?" Cait demanded, folding her arms over her chest.

"The truth? I just feel it'd be a really great idea. That may sound lame, but, it's true. I think it's for the best and that it could work. And why the hell does it matter so much to you anyway?" he asked.

"_Because_ I... you really shouldn't have done it," Cait said.

"Disagreed," he said flatly. "Now, I think you should get going, Cait." He turned and opened his door, then, looked at her. "No more roommate talk. Just let it go. I'm so dead serious."

"But, Rocky, you _can't_ just- you know what? Fine. Fine," Cait said, then, headed out of the apartment, shaking her head and mumbling.

* * *

**Next up: Cait/Kat confrontation.**


	6. Chapter 6

And here I am with another update. I was gonna wait, but, I couldn't resist.

As always, thanks for the support. (smiles)

This is my second fave fic to write.

* * *

Katherine stood in her kitchen the next day- Sunday morning- preparing breakfast for herself. Well, all right, herself and the little person growing inside of her. In spite of all that had gone down the day before, she'd actually managed to get a good night's sleep. She was thankful for that. Relieved. She couldn't have allowed herself to really stress anyhow since there was the baby's health to consider and she was not going to do anything that would remotely harm her baby. Her baby. A smile lit her face. 

'_I'm_ _already as protective as a lioness_,' she thought with a laugh. But, then, she was supposed to be. She headed over to the refrigerator to retrieve the orange juice. Knocking at her front door sounded just as she'd pulled the carton out. Her eyebrows rose. '_I wonder who that is._' She sat the carton down on the table, then, exited the kitchen. When she reached the door, she looked through the peephole and surprise filled her eyes. What was _Cait_ doing here? Then, it hit her in an instant. Obviously, Rocky'd told her everything. Why else would she be here? But Kat's curiosity didn't go anywhere... .

She unlocked and opened the door. "Cait... hi."

Cait grinned at the blonde. "Hi, Kat! I understand that congratulations are in order. Rocky told me the news. It's terrific!"

"Thanks," Kat said with a slight smile. Cait nodded, then, hugged herself and began looking around. Several moments later, her eyes landed on Kat again and she just stared. After what seemed like forever, Kat cleared her throat.

"Well, if there's nothing else you want, I have to get-"

"Actually, there is. There is. There is... ya know? Can I have a few minutes of your time, please? Please? Would that be okay? 'Cause I really, really, really, really need to talk to you. I hope that's all right. This can't wait. It so can't. Seriously. You've gotta believe me when I tell ya that this has to be done. It's important. Really, really, really, really important. I mean, it's just-" Cait was saying.

"Just come on in," Kat cut in, unable to keep that hint of annoyance from creeping into her voice. Of course, she wasn't a rude and, well, bitchy person, but, _rude_ seemed to be a language Cait understood well. People couldn't really get through to her any other way.

"Thanks," Cait said, then, entered the apartment.

"Have a seat," Kat offered after slosing the door. Cait nodded and sat down in one of Kat's chairs. Kat took a seat on the couch and sighed. Then, her eyes widened, she sat up a little straighter and looked at the other woman. "You said it was important. Is it Rocky? Is anything the matter with him?"

"No! No, no, no. It's just... okay. Okay. Kat, he told me about the proposal," Cait said, her eyes growing dark.

"Oh," Kat said, her concern vanishing. What else was there to say? What was Cait expecting her to say?

"Yeah," Cait muttered. Then, she sighed heavily. "Look, I don't wanna completely stress you out 'cause I know it's, like, the last thing you need or whatever, but... you can't. You just_ can't_. Really."

"Can't what? Marry Rocky?" Kat asked, frowning.

"Right. That's right. Kat, you've gotta tell him no. You've gotta," Cait said, shaking her head.

"Mm-hmm. Why do I 'gotta'?" Kat asked calmly.

"Why? Are you out of your freaking- Kat! You can't be serious!" Cait exclaimed.

"That'd be you," Kat said before she could stop herself. Manners wasn't on her mind now- and why would they be? Cait- who had_ nothing_ to do with the situation- telling her what she _had_ to do had triggered something in her. Her annoyance began growing at a rapid rate.

Cait laughed. "I'm trying to tell you something important here and you're_ insulting_ me? So much for sweet, understanding Katherine. Or is it the hormones talking, _Mommy_?" Cait said, curling her upper lip.

"No, it's me. But "sweet" and "understanding" can't be on the front-burner right now because you're nosing into my personal business and I don't like it. If I decide to marry my baby's father, it's not your concern. If I decide not to, it's not your concern. Do you get that you have absolutely nothing to do with any of this?" Kat said, her voice thick with irritation. Where did this woman get off?

"That's where you're wrong," Cait snapped. "You can't tell him yes because you'll ruin everything! Everything!"

"What's everything? Do_ you_ even know what you're talking about half the time?" Kat said, glaring at the infuriating woman. What the hell was going on here?

"Oh, stifle it," Cait said harshly, her eyes flashing.

Kat laughed. "If I told you how many people would love to tell _you_ the exact thing, we'd be here til next year," she said. "But I'm not gonna stifle anything because I'm in _my_ apartment and I'll do whatever I want."

Cait rolled her eyes. "Who cares? I can't believe he'd ask _anybody_ to marry him when we're..." her voice trailed off.

"When you're what? Cait, you and Rocky aren't a couple," Kat said.

Cait's eyes narrowed. "And we never will be if you marry him."

So, _that_ was it. Kat nodded. She should've guessed that right off, but, she'd been so annoyed with Cait. "You've gotten serious about Rocky."

"More than that," Cait snapped. "Last night, I was coming over to tell him how I felt. That I'd fallen in love with him and that I wanted us to be exclusive."

Kat sighed. "I'm sorry, Cait, but... even if there was no baby or proposal, I don't think you'd get what you want because Rocky doesn't feel the same way. If he did, he and I would never-"

"But you did," Cait snapped harshly. "You slept with him and got yourself knocked up! And now you just might screw everything up for me!"

Kat's annoyance returned in full force. "I'm done talking about this. I want you to get outta my apartment."

"Well, I'm not done, Kat! I can't believe this! I told you I'm in love with him and you're telling me to leave! Where the hell is your compassion!?" Cait exclaimed, now trembling with fury.

"Where's yours?" Kat snapped. "Parenthood's new to Rocky and me and you're sitting here thinking about yourself and what you want."

"I'm not think-" she began.

"The most important thing should be what's best for this baby. That should come before anything else. Rocky and I get that. Now, I'm not telling you to forget the way you feel. But, like I said before, Rocky doesn't feel the same way. So, you're gonna have to prepare yourself for a reaction you might not be able to take," Kat said.

"Don't try to act all sympathetic," Cait said hotly.

"Oh, don't worry. I don't have any sympathy for you. I was simply stating facts," Kat said.

"You know what? You are such a-" Cait began.

"I said I was done. Leave," Kat said, standing. She walked over to her door, opened it and looked at Cait. "Now."

Cait scoffed, stood and stalked over to the door. She glared at the blonde, hate filling her eyes. "You little... what you should do is-"

"Bye, Cait," Kat said, giving the woman a little push out of the apartment.

"Did you just _push_- I should've known that nicey nice, sweetie pie crap was an act," Cait said bitterly.

"A little hard to wear a happy face when you're dealing with a headache," Kat said dryly.

Cait shook her head. "Whatever. Listen, just tell Rocky you can't marry him. Tell him that you guys could just be friends with a baby or whatever. Kat, it's for the best. It really is- especially since he's not in love with you, either. Tell him no. Will you do that? Will you just tell him no?"

Kat stared at the other woman, her irritation growing stronger by the second. It wasn't really hard to see why Rocky'd never felt anything more than what he did for Cait. It really wasn't. Cait had pretty much just showed her true colors. She may have been a ditz, but, she was also selfish and unbelievable.

"_Will_ you? Will you turn him down?" Cait demanded.

"I was gonna take a few days to think about everything, but, you've already given me my answer," Kat said quietly.

"What is it?" Cait asked in annoyance. "_What_?"

"I'm gonna become Katherine DeSantos as soon as possible," Kat said before closing and locking the door.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

And here I am with the next installment.

Decided to ignore any remaining writer's block, LOL.

Big thanks, as always, to the readers/reviewers.

* * *

"You cannot be _serious_!" Cait screeched. 

Kat sighed as she turned away from her now closed door. '_Now_ _what was it I was doing before_? _Oh, right_! _Breakfast_. _I've gotta finish making my breakfast_,' she thought with a nod, then, began heading for her kitchen. She ignored the banging on her door and angry yelling with no problems at all.

After she'd prepared her food, she sat at her table- eating and staring ahead at the wall. Cait seemed to have given up and gone away. A thought danced into Kat's brain then... and her face flushed a little. Should she have told Cait she was going to accept Rocky's proposal? Sure, she'd wanted the woman to leave her alone, but, saying she was going to tell Rocky yes may have been a little extreme.

But, then, a part of her really did want to accept his proposal. Cait may have been one of the reasons, but, she definitely wasn't the main reason. The baby was. Kat absently placed her hand on her belly. She had no doubts that both she and Rocky could give this baby a good life- together. Yes, it'd mean sacrifice... but, this baby was way more important than everything else.

'_And_ _Rocky may've been joking and all, but, he was right. I could do a lot worse than him_,' she thought with a smile. She looked down at her belly. "What do you think? Hmm? Should I tell your daddy yes?" She laughed. "Don't think Mommy's crazy enough to actually expect an answer." She looked up and began staring at the counter. '_I'll_ _call Rocky over so we can talk_.'

She dropped her gaze back down to her stomach. "I'm gonna call Daddy over- not now, though. Because once he spots or smells food, it'll be "Kat who?" she said with a laugh.

* * *

Rocky stood outside of Katherine's door a few hours later, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He'd just knocked. Rocky looked around the hallway. His heart would not slow down! When Kat'd asked him to come over, nervousness had chosen to pay a little visit. He was sure she was ready to give him an answer... and that didn't exactly fill him with shining hope. Why had she decided so quickly? 

'_This can't be good_,' he thought for the billionth time, shaking his head. He delivered another series of sharp knocks to the door, then, stuffed his hands in his pockets. '_Man_! _Feels like I'm about to face__ my execution or something_.' After several long moments, he sighed. What was taking her so long? If she was going to turn him down, he wanted it to be quick and painless. '_Come on_,_ Kat_. _Don't drag this out_.' He began knocking once again.

'_Okay_, _I need to calm down. I don't know that she's necessarily gonna say no_. _Hell, I don't even know if she's decided yet! I could be here for totally different reasons_,' he thought as the door opened.

Kat smiled at her baby's father. "Hey. Come in." He gave her a brief smile and entered the apartment. She closed and locked the door, then, they headed for the sofa together. "I'm glad you could make it, Rocky. I didn't wanna do this over the phone."

"Do what?" he asked as they sat down, keeping his voice light. It was more than a little hard to stay positive right now.

"Give you an answer," she said.

"Oh," he said, unsure of how else to respond.

"Before I get into it, though, you should know that your buddy Cait came over this morning," Kat said, rolling her eyes.

Rocky's eyebrows shot up in surprise, his apprehension forgotten for the moment. "She did? Why?"

"To congratulate me... and tell me to turn you down," Kat said.

His surprise was almost instantly replaced with annoyance and anger. Where the hell did Cait get off? "She also told me that I shouldn't have asked you. She's got one helluva nerve. Cait doesn't even have anything to do with any of this. It's between you and me. I can't believe she came here!"

"She's in love with you and wants a commitment from you," Kat said.

"I'm not all that shocked considering the look she had on her face when I told her I asked you to marry me," he said. He didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but, he wasn't in the same place as Cait. Baby or no baby, Cait couldn't have what she wanted.

"Well, we started arguing and I ended up telling her to leave. She kept pushing for me to reject you. Rocky... she's incredibly selfish. You should've seen her in action over here," Kat said, shaking her head. "She wouldn't stop. I told her that she made my mind up for me and that I was gonna be your wife. Then, I closed the door on her."

Rocky nodded... his apprehension resurfacing. "Well, I can't say that I blame you, Kat. She was getting on your nerves and stressing you, so, you decided to get her off your back any way you could." So, he'd been right. She was going to tell him it couldn't happen.

"I wanted her out of my face and I was so sick of her voice, but, that's not really why I told her that. Rocky, I'm having a really hard time finding a good reason we shouldn't get married. I really love the idea of this baby having a family life and I know you'll be a wonderful father. You're a wonderful man," she said.

Rocky stared at her, hope finally filling him. "So you're saying... yes?"

"Mm-hmm. We both will give this baby all we have... so why not do it as husband and wife?" she said, smiling. The more she thought about it, the more sense it made.

Rocky leaned over and hugged her and before he knew it. "Thanks, Kat. I'm not gonna make you regret this." He pulled away slightly and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"I know," she said, kissing his cheek softly. They just grinned at each other, then, she thought of something. "When do you wanna tell everyone else?"

"Whenever you want. Can't wait too long, though. If we do, we might as well let the baby tell 'em," he said with a laugh. She laughed as well and nodded.

"I guess we should start spreading the news today," Kat said.

"Okay. These are gonna be real bombshells," Rocky said. It'd even take him awhile to get used to it. He looked at her. "Kat, would you like to come over for dinner tonight?"

"First, the Chinese food and, now, you wanna cook for me. A girl could get used to this pampering," she teased. He laughed and she squeezed his hand. "But I'd love to, though, Rocky. Thanks."

* * *

It was now a little past midnight. Cait's apartment was totally dark and quiet. She was lying in bed wide awake, her eyes puffy and red-rimmed. She was clutching one of her pillows tightly. Cait had no idea how to even go about verbalizing everything she'd been feeling since Saturday night. She did know for sure that she'd never felt worse in her entire life. She hurled her pillow across the room and an enraged yell escaped her lips. 

Cait sat, swung her legs out of bed and stood. The woman was trembling with fury now. She stormed out of her room and into the bathroom. When she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror above the sink, she gasped. She looked so... well, it wasn't her fault. She hadn't done this to herself. No way. A fresh wave of rage crashed over her and her eyes blazed as she gripped the sink and glared at her pathetic-looking reflection.

"Damn him! Damn him!" she shrieked with unadulterated venom. How dare Rocky do this? They would have been good together. How could he not know that? She couldn't believe he was so willing to give up any chances of finding love- all for a random friend he'd knocked up! '_Kat_ _and her_ _little brat's wrecked everything_! _I just hate her_.' Then, she stood up straight and narrowed her eyes a little.

Maybe everything wasn't ruined. Maybe she could stop that ridiculous marriage from coming into existence. A smile appeared on her face. She was positive she could stop them from becoming a happy little family. Yeah. Renewed determination and hope filled her. She could still have what she wanted. The only thing left to do was figuring out how to go about getting it... .

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

_**And here's the next chapter.**_

_**As always, thank you all for the feedback.**_

* * *

"I can't believe how nuts she is," Kimberly said that Monday evening. She, Tanya, Aisha and Trini were all in Katherine's apartment- discussing Cait. Katherine and Rocky's friends had been surprised to hear of the pregnancy and marriage, but, of course, they'd support them every step of the way. Anyway, Katherine's female friends had come over almost immediately after leaving their jobs.

"I think Cait surpassed "nuts" a long time ago," Trini said. The former yellow Morphin ranger was a writer for the Angel Grove News. Also, she'd gotten together with Billy- who was a computer engineer, naturally- a year and a half ago.

"Ain't it the truth?" Tanya agreed. "She was really outta line."

"Big time," Aisha said. "I mean, I've known Rocky most of my life. Meaning I knew from the first second I met Cait that it'd never be serious between them. Whatever fantasies she has about them having "a happily ever after" would always be just that: fantasies. Regardless."

Katherine sighed and shook her head. "I tried to tell her pretty much the same thing, but, she wasn't having it. She honestly thinks I've ruined her life. Of course, if she's living only for a guy, then, it's not much of a life anyway."

"No kidding. You know, if Cait really cares anything at all about Rocky, she'd be puttting his child first," Kimberly said. Everyone nodded in agreement. Then, Kimberly gasped and Trini groaned when she noticed the grin on her childhood friend's face.

"What's up?" Tanya asked as she casually rubbed her pregnant belly. It looked as though she was about to pop at any second. But, then, carrying twins would do that to a woman. She was more than relieved that her sons were due to enter the world in a couple weeks.

"Kim has wedding plans on her mind," Trini replied, smiling and shaking her head.

Aisha grinned. "Oh, yeah! We _do_ have a wedding to plan."

Katherine laughed. "Not really. Considering the situation, I really just want something simple." She didn't even know when she and Rocky were getting married and her friends were already talking wedding plans. It was hilarious.

"We can do simple," Kimberly said. Trini made an amused sound and Kimberly smirked at her. "We _can_, Kwan."

"Yeah. What do you have in mind, girl?" Aisha asked Katherine.

"Well, a ceremony in a small chapel, maybe. Just close friends and family. Family," Katherine said, her eyes wide. "Oh, no."

"What's the matter?" Tanya asked in concern.

"I can't believe I forgot... . My parents don't know yet," Katherine said.

"Oh. Well, you know they'll be supportive," Aisha said with a warm smile.

"And they'll also treat me like a teen that needs at least thirty "responsibility" lectures a day," Katherine said in a dry tone- causing her friends to laugh. Katherine knew her parents loved her and that Aisha was right- they would support her. But that didn't mean she was looking forward to telling them. There was also Rocky's parents. She groaned inwardly.

"Well, ladies, small ceremony or not, we've still got work to do. So, I'm thinking that we should..." Kimberly was saying.

* * *

"In a second!" Rocky yelled as he headed for the front door of his apartment. "Keep your friggin' pants on," he muttered as the person continued to knock insistently. He shook his head, then, unlocked and opened his door to find none other than Caitlin standing there. Irritation slammed into him instantly. "What?" he snapped.

"Rocky," she said quietly. She looked as though she'd been crying. Also, her hair and clothes were sort of rumpled.

"What do you want, Cait?" he asked, his tone free of emotion. So she'd been crying. Big whoop. Why should he care? Especially after what had gone down between her and Katherine. It might have seemed insensitive, but, seriously, Cait had nerve. What the hell gave her the right to butt into his personal life? And she'd ignored his child's needs. How could he ever want a person like that?

"Rocky, you know the answer to that!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening. "I want you to tell her that you've changed your mind. God, Rocky. Don't let her come between-"

"Between what?" he said. "Cait, you and I aren't together."

"We could be! Just tell her you don't wanna go through with this. She's trying to trap you," Cait said emotionally.

"How- Cait, I asked _her_ to marry _me_," he said.

"Because she manipulated you! Don't be fooled by all that sweetness crap. I'm willing to bet all the money in the world that she got pregnant on purpose," Cait said, her eyes flashing.

"Seek help, Cait," he said, shaking his head. Wow... . He was almost starting to feel a little sorry for her.

She sighed in frustration. "Rocky, I really can't believe you don't care even a little bit about my feelings! This misguided loyalty to Kat is totally blinding you!" Her voice was rapidly rising in pitch.

"I really can't believe how _wrong_ I was about you. When Kat told me what happened... just get outta my sight," he said. He could take ditzy. But disregard for his kid? Hell, no.

She shook her head fiercely. "Rocky, please don't do that. Don't send me away. I just need you to get that I only did what I did outta love."

He snorted. "If basically attacking the mother of my child is your idea of love, no, thanks. I'll pass."

"Don't!" she screeched.

"Keep it down," he said, more than a hint of harshness in his tone. He glared at her- partly in disbelief, partly in annoyance.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just- I want us to have a chance," she said, her eyes pleading with him.

"Cait-" he began.

"Don't keep rejecting me, dammit!" she yelled with sudden anger. Then, she prepared to slap him, but, he caught her wrist and she just glared at him.

"You need to leave," he said.

She jerked her wrist free. "I wouldn't be losing my cool like this if you weren't so damned stubborn. I'm telling you, Rocky. If you go through with this marriage, I won't be responsible."

"Cait... stay the hell away from Kat," he said, his voice low.

She scoffed. "Oh, please. I'm not gonna go anywhere near your precious Kat. I'm talking about me! If something happens to me, it'll be on your head."

"What are you even talk-" he began.

"Oh... you'll know. You'll know," she said, nodding. She flashed him a cold smile, turned and stormed off.

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note**:

_I have to run my mouth for a minute here. WOW. I really, really do appreciate the feedback this story is getting. It means a lot to me. To be honest, I wasn't expecting it- because it's a fic starring an unconventional pairing. I was worried I wouldn't mesh them together quite right, but... I must be doing okay, LOL. Anyway, thanks again and I really hope y'all keep the support coming._

_As for Cait... well, all I'll say is that I think she's gonna be full of surprises. BUT she **won't**_ _be a homicidal maniac- no matter what I do with her. That much I can promise. And that ditziness ain't going anywhere- not if I can help it- since it's part of who she is. Love, hate or love to hate her, LOL._

* * *

'_What_ _am I doing_?' Caitlin thought as she entered her apartment. What was she doing? That'd been running through her mind since she'd left Rocky's. The brunette plopped down on her sofa, her eyes wide. Like, what the hell was she doing? Was she really making a huge mistake here? '_What_ _if I_ _totally am_?' Maybe she should apologize to Katherine and Rocky or something.

But her jealousy was kind of overpowering. '_Is that the word for it? Yeah. Definitely. Whoooooa_!' she thought as she grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her body. Maybe Katherine had been right about Cait and Rocky, about them never getting together. And that was what Cait couldn't stand- Kat being right. '_But_, _like, how could Kat know_? _What is she- that Billy guy all_ _of sudden or whatever? She thinks she's sooooo smart_.'

Cait just didn't want Rocky to hate her. And she didn't want him to marry some other woman because it'd kill any sort of chance she felt she could possibly have with him. But was it really worth it? She groaned in annoyance. It just really bothered her that Kat seemed to think that Rocky could never feel anything more than friendship or something for Cait. That was what had really set her off. She didn't like hearing that there were no possibilities. She hated that.

'_And_ _what if she's right_?' Cait thought. Those doubts and pangs of guilt just would not stay away. Well, she wished they would. Besides, what was she really doing wrong anyhow? She just wanted to be happy. What the hell was so wrong with that? She saw Kat as a threat, so, she'd gone off on her and Rocky. Cait rolled her eyes. No way could she just give up on this. _That_ could be the big mistake.

But, then, the doubts quickly resurfaced. What if she really was wasting her time here? Deep down, she didn't believe she could _make_ Rocky want her. If she screwed around with his life, he'd never even be her friend again. Was she willing to, like, lose him altogether? Should she back off and let him marry Kat?

'_I should probably just leave them alone_...'

* * *

"Kat! What are you doing? Put that box down. Are you crazy or something?" Rocky said as he hurried up to his fiancee. It was now five days later- Saturday morning- and Katherine was getting all moved into Rocky's apartment. He'd suggested a few days ago that they just get it done now rather than later. Adam was helping. Also, Katherine had officially "walked away" from her job as a ballet instructor several days ago.

She looked at Rocky and laughed, unable to help it. "Rocky, this box weighs next to nothing. It's fine." But when she tried to take it back from him, he held it out of her reach. After trying- and failing- several times to get the box, she rolled her eyes. "That was fun. Rocky, just give me the box, please."

"Uh, no can do, ballerina. The Frogman and I got everything covered. And we'll be done soon. What I want you to do is stay off your feet as much as possible," he said.

"Hey!" Adam- who'd heard the "frogman" remark- said indignantly as he walked past them.

Rocky and Katherine laughed. "Rocky, I'm okay. I wanna help out a little," she said.

"Not necessary," he said lightly.

"Well, I'm gonna help out anyway," she said, qucikly grabbing the box before he could react.

"All right. Fine. Help," he said. "I'll just keep myself busy by singing 'John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt'."

Katherine stiffened. Last year, on Fourth of July, Rocky'd sang that repeatedly. While it'd been hilarious, it hadn't exactly been pleasing to the ear- especially since he'd chosen to sing it in the most annoying voice he could manage. Kat's eyes narrowed a little at the memory and she handed her baby's father the box. "You win. But, you didn't play fair."

"That's why I won," he said before kissing her nose, winking at her and heading off towards the apartment building.

Katherine laughed and shook her head. This was going to be one interesting life.

* * *

"In honor of your first night here, I wanna make something really great for dinner. Got anything in mind?" Rocky asked several hours later. He and Katherine were sitting on the couch, drinking water and just, well, relaxing. Katherine leaned forward, sat her glass on the coffee table and grinned at him. She just felt really content! She had a feeling it wouldn't be long at all until she started feeling like this was _their_ place.

"Not really. Cook whatever you like. I'm sure I'll love it," she assured him. Then, she thought of something that dampened her mood more than a little bit. "Rocky?"

"Yeah?" he asked.

"We haven't seen Cait around lately. Kind of weird- considering what you told me she said to you a few days ago," Katherine said. Cait hadn't been around. She wasn't too sure what to make of that... .

Rocky sighed and nodded. "Yeah. I've been thinking of that myself. Hey, maybe she's actually decided to leave it alone, you know? Or if she hasn't and she's just waiting for the perfect moment to lash out... well, it won't matter. Because I'm not gonna let it affect us."

"Neither am I," Katherine said softly.

He smiled at her. "Kat, I've gotta thank you again for not turning me down. I know that this is all moving really fast and we're in a situation we don't really know much about, but... I think we could handle it together."

"So can I, Rocky. It may be moving fast, but, that's fine. It really is," she said. "I'm glad I accepted your proposal."

"Wait a second. Oh, crap," he said with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" she asked in a concerned tone.

"Your ring. Your engagement ring. I have to get one. I can't believe I wasn't even thinking about it," he said.

"If you start beating yourself up over it, I'll force you to wear a tutu," she threatened playfully. He laughed.

"Fate worse than death," he joked- causing her to laugh. "But, seriously, you should have one and I'm gonna try and get it sometime next week. Well, you're gonna have to come with me since I'm so guy-ish." She laughed again and he grinned.

"Well, I'm gonna get started on dinner, Kit Kat," he said, then, he sat his own glass on the table and leaned in... to kiss her. It'd seemed as natural as breathing to do for some crazy reason. Just as his lips were about to touch hers, he caught himself and his face heated up a little. "Wow," he said with kind of nervous little chuckle. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Oh, no. I hope you don't say that at the altar," she teased.

He smiled. "Nah, it's just... well, I don't wanna- I guess I just- I'm not trying to- I'm sorry I-"

"Hey, Zeo Three?" she said lightly. He looked at her. "It's okay. I really don't mind." And she meant that. After all, they were engaged. They'd slept together and made a baby.

"Really?" he said, lifting his eyebrows slightly.

"If you don't believe me, maybe you should try again," she said with a soft smile.

'_Could she be any more awesome_?' "No problem there," he told the lovely blonde before pressing his lips to hers.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**:

And I'm finally back with an update. (**Thanks to a peer's PRESSURE- you KNOW who you are**...)

Since Katherine was getting bashed like nobody's biz recently, I decided to update a fic co-starring her.

Y'all know how it goes: thanks for the amazing support. :-)

**This chapter's kinda short- I'm sorry**.

* * *

"Coming!" Katherine said on Sunday morning. She'd just woken up and the second she'd been about to head for the bathroom, someone began knocking on the door. The blonde sighed and rubbed her eyes. It wasn't even eight yet. Who in the world could this be? The half-sleepy woman unlocked and opened the door to find Caitlin standing there. It didn't take long for Katherine to become completely alert. "What are you doing here, Cait?" 

"Wow, Kat. Hello to you, too," Caitlin said with a laugh.

"I'm serious," Katherine said sharply.

Caitlin held her hands up in a "don't shoot" manner, then, laughed. "I know you are. I come in peace. Like, really. I'm not here to totally rip into you or anything." Katherine gave her a skeptical look and she giggled. "I sooooo get why you don't believe me, Kat. Seriously. I mean, I wouldn't believe me, either, or whatever. But, I'm being sincere and all."

"Let's just say you are," Katherine said coolly. "Why are you here?" Sure, Caitlin seemed like her usual ditzy self and she _looked _all calm, but... you never knew.

"Well, I didn't think you'd be here, to tell the truth. I-" Caitlin was saying.

"I live here," Katherine said.

Caitlin's eyes widened a little, then, she giggled again. "Wowwwwwww! That didn't take long. Talk about the fast lane. I thought you guys were gonna wait til after the wedding or something. Funny how things work out, huh? Soooo funny. Like this one time-"

"Cait," Katherine cut in.

"Oh! Sorry. Where's Rocky?" Caitlin asked.

"Sleeping. Now, will you please get to why you're here?" Katherine said, a hint of impatience in her tone.

"Oh, right! Right. Totally sorry," Caitlin said, waving her hands dismissively. "Okay. All right. Well, I wanna apologize. I really do. I'm sorry, Kat. I am. I had no right to lay into you like that and try and tell you and Rocky what to do with your lives. I was dead wrong and I feel so terrible about it all. I mean, you were right. The baby's needs are more important than anything. I should've known better."

Katherine just stared at her, not completely sure of what to do or say.

Caitlin sighed and rolled her eyes. "I was, like, such an idiot. Anyway, you guys are getting married and I just have to deal. It'll take a while, but, I'm sure I'm gonna be so a-okay in time. And maybe even really happy for you guys. You know, it's so great that you guys already love your baby so much. Lucky kid."

"This baby means everything to us," Katherine said quietly.

"And it should. Totally. Kat, I don't blame you if you don't accept my apology, but, I really am being genuine and all. I am sorry and I promise that I won't cause any trouble. Tell Rocky that for me, please. Whew! I'm glad I got this out. Well, I gotta get going. See ya," Caitlin said brightly. Then, she gave a little wave, turned and walked away.

Katherine stared after her, an unreadable expression on her face. So Caitlin had apologized. She'd come to make a sincere apology. The former pink ranger slowly closed and locked the door, then, she turned and headed for the bathroom. '_It_ _seemed like she really meant it_,' she thought. But as the saying went: "appearances can be deceiving". Caitlin was probably genuine or just a good actress. It didn't matter either way because Katherine wasn't letting her guard down.

* * *

"So you don't think she's on the up and up," Rocky said sometime later. He and Katherine were sitting in the kitchen, having breakfast. His fiancee had just filled him in on Caitlin's little visit. 

Katherine took a sip of orange juice, then, sat the glass down on the table and shook her head. "I'm not sure. I'd like to believe that we don't have to deal with her, but, it's not easy."

"I know, right?" he said. Then, he sighed. "Well, if she _is_ playing us, we'll be ready for her."

"Definitely. We can take whatever she dishes out," Katherine said.

"We're a great team. Team. We should call ourselves something. How 'bout The Unstoppable DeSantoses? No, wait. That's kinda lame. Gimme a few days- I'll come up with something," he said, nodding.

She shook her head once again and laughed. Rocky was just so great to have around. She loved how he could make her laugh. This really would be an interesting life. A good life. A thought sprang into her mind, then. She sat up a little straighter. "Rocky?"

"Yeah, ballerina?"

"I know it's only been a week, but, I'd really like to talk about possible wedding dates," she said.

"Okay. What month have you always wanted to get married in?" he asked.

"Well, it doesn't have to be only what _I _want, Rocky. Our wedding day is about us both," she said.

"True, but, I always thought the "setting a wedding date" thing was the woman's department. I hope that doesn't sound sexist-" he was saying.

"No, it's okay," she said. Then, she laughed. "Actually, you're right- when I really think about it. Wedding planning is definitely not a guy thing."

"Amen to that," he said. "So, what month would you like?"

She sat back, cocked her head slightly and gave him a soft smile. "How about November? A nice, fall wedding. Also, I don't have to worry about being big as a mansion on our wedding day."

"Kat, you're gonna be even more beautiful than usual when we get married," he said, looking into her eyes.

Katherine felt a few stomach flutters and began squirming a little. His gaze was more than a little intense. "You're just so sweet."

"It's a curse I've gotta live with, Zeo One," he said- causing her to laugh. He grinned. "November'd be perfect. And so will that little bun in your oven."

"Agreed," she said, reaching across the table to squeeze his hand.

"Yeah. We're gonna be a family, Kat. Nothing's gonna stand in our way," he said.

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N**:

I really wasn't planning to update for awhile- due to blockage, LOL. But, I decided to **TRY** and just push on through anyway.

I was gonna update another fic, but, I realized I wasn't exactly ready to.

As always, thanks for the support.

* * *

"They are just so adorable," Katherine said, grinning. 

Aren't they, though?" Tanya said, then, laughed. "I'm just so glad they're finally here. It feels like I was pregnant for a billion centuries, girl."

"Thanks for giving me something to look forward to," Katherine joked. Both women burst out laughing. It was the third Sunday in October- three weeks later- and Rocky and Katherine had come to Adam and Tanya's for a visit a half-hour earlier. Adam and Rocky were in the den watching television while Tanya and Katherine were in the twins' nursery, smiling down at the sleeping babies. Adam and Tanya's sons- Aidan and Jamal- had made their debut a week ago.

"So, how much sleep have you and Adam gotten over the last few days?" Katherine asked with a soft laugh.

Tanya groaned. "Don't even get me started. I love these little angels like crazy, but, Kat... their lungs have _got_ to be the size of Texas!"

Katherine laughed, then, looked down at her belly. Three months pregnant now. Three months. She'd really be a mother in six months. It'd definitely be a while before she stopped feeling overwhelmed by the idea. She looked at the Park twins again and her heart skipped a beat. The thought of motherhood was still kind of scary, but, she really couldn't wait until she was standing in her own baby's room.

"Let's go to the kitchen. I'm gonna get started on lunch. You need to keep your strength up," Tanya said, grabbing the baby monitor. She gave her babies one last sweet smile, then, led the way out of the room.

"It's funny. I was actually just about to mention that I'm hungry," Katherine said as they headed downstairs. "Wanna bet Rocky's in the kitchen right now?"

When they reached the kitchen, they looked at each other and burst out laughing. Rocky was scanning the contents in the refrigerator. Katherine shook her head and smiled. Rocky stood up straight and looked over at his friend and fiancee.

"What's up?" he asked.

"We're just laughing at how predictable you are, DeSantos," Tanya said, playfully poking him in the ribs.

"We just knew you'd be in here," Katherine said.

Rocky smirked. "Ha ha ha. You guys aren't playing fair. 'Pick On Rocky' day is _next _Sunday," he said as Adam walked in.

"For us, it's _every _day," Adam said, grinning and clapping Rocky on the shoulder.

"You better be glad it's 'Be Kind To Amphibians' week," Rocky told his best friend- causing his former teammates to laugh.

"Tanya, do you want any help with lunch?" Katherine asked.

"I want you to stay off your feet as much as possible. Sit," Tanya ordered as she sat the monitor down on the counter.

"Actually, you should sit, too, honey," Adam told his wife. "After all, you did just bring not one, but, two kids into the universe. I'll handle lunch. Relax, sweetheart."

Tanya leaned into him and grinned. "Promise you'll be this sweet for the rest of our lives?"

"We'll see," he said with a wink. She laughed and he kissed her cheek. Then, she, Katherine and Rocky took seats at the table. Adam looked over at his two friends and grinned. "So, are you guys all set for the big day?" Rocky and Katherine'd be getting married in two weeks- on Saturday.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Katherine said, smiling at Rocky- who instantly smiled back.

"Same here," he said, placing his hand over hers.

* * *

"The twins are really just so cute," Katherine said as she and Rocky prepared for bed that night. 

"Yeah. It's really great that our kid's gonna have playmates around its own age. Kinda ironic that the playmates' parents are our best friends," Rocky said with a laugh.

"True," Katherine agreed. The blonde walked over to her full-length mirror and began studying her appearance and gently rubbing her belly. She'd been doing that quite often lately. A soft smile lit her face.

Rocky watched her, a smile on his own face. Every now and then, it'd hit him that she really was carrying his child. "I can't believe I'm gonna be a father in April. Less than a year. Just... wow," he said as he put on his wifebeater.

"_Wow_ is exactly how I feel," she said. "Seeing the twins today made me even more excited about our baby, Rocky- and I didn't even think that was possible."

"I hear ya," he said, nodding. "I already feel like I'm gonna burst. Hey, Kat?"

"Hmm?" she said.

"I know we've been over this, but... well, I just want you to know that I plan to be the best husband and dad I can be. You're really- well, you deserve the best and I'll do all I can to give it to you," he said. "You're an amazing woman."

Katherine smiled when that familiar warmth rushed through her and she turned to face him. "Rocky, you're gonna be incredible- as both a husband and father. And you should have the best, too. Because you're really something special and I'm gonna work hard to be the kind of wife you deserve."

"Looks like we just said our wedding vows," he joked as she walked over to him.

"Short, but, sweet," she quipped. They laughed, then, hugged.

* * *

It was now nine days later- Tuesday evening- and Rocky was in his and Katherine's living room, talking on the telephone to his mother. Katherine was currently visiting her own parents and would be home a little later. Anyway, Mrs. DeSantos was going on and on about how she couldn't believe her baby boy would be a married man in four days. 

Rocky shook his head and grinned. '_Moms are gonna be moms_,_ I guess_.'

"It feels like just yesterday your father and I were bringing you home from the hospital. Do you know that you were the cutest baby?" Mrs. DeSantos gushed.

"Of course," he said- causing her to laugh.

"Oh, you. You never fail to make me smile. I love you so much, honey, and I wish you and Katherine nothing but all the best," she said warmly.

"Thanks, Ma. I love you, too," he said. They talked a for a little while longer, then, said their goodbyes. He stood and stretched. What to do now? A little television? Pre-dinner snack while cooking dinner? The second one sounded a lot more appealing. He grinned, then, turned and headed for the kitchen. But he stopped in his tracks when knocking sounded at the door.

His eyebrows rose after he unlocked and opened it. Two stone-faced police officers stood before him. Instantly, an image of Kat flashed in his mind and concern slammed into him. He opened his mouth to ask if anything had happened, but, the brown-haired officer spoke up first.

"Are you Rockford DeSantos?" he asked sharply.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am. Is there a problem?" Rocky asked, frowning deeply.

"You could say that," the officer said.

"Well, what is it? What's going on?" Rocky asked.

"Mr. DeSantos, you're under arrest for the attempted murder of Caitlin Buchanan."

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

Decided to force myself to update my** soapy story. LOL!**

As always, I'm grateful for the support.

**I know a couple folks've been waiting for this, so, here it is**.

* * *

Katherine stepped off the elevator in the building she now lived in. She'd planned to return home a little bit later, but, she'd changed her mind. She wanted to see how Rocky felt about maybe going out to dinner and a movie. Yeah. In the mood to do something completely normal for some reason. The blonde began thinking of possible movies as she turned the corner and headed up the hall to the apartment. Her lighthearted mood vanished when she saw two police officers standing in front of her open door... . 

"You've got it all wrong!" Rocky was saying.

"Right. Sell me another one," one officer said dryly as Katherine quickly approached.

"Rocky! What's going on?" she asked, incredulous. "What are they doing here?"

"Who would you be, ma'am?" the brown-haired officer asked slowly.

"I'm his fiancee," she replied. "What's going on?"

"Well, your groom-to-be here tried to kill a woman," he said.

"_What_?" she exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"You might wanna cancel the wedding," the officer said smugly.

"It's Cait. They're trying to arrest me for attempted murder, Kat," Rocky explained. She looked at him- disbelief, shock and anger in her eyes.

"I can't believe she pulled something like this," Katherine said, her anger burning hotter. "What am I saying? Of course I can! She's a psychopath!"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to tell them," Rocky said. He looked at the unconvinced officers. "I didn't do anything. Caitlin used to be a friend of mine, okay? We casually dated. She wanted more and I didn't. My fiancee here happens to be pregnant and when Cait found out we were getting married, she pretty much went off the deep end."

"He's right. Rocky would never try to kill anyone," Katherine said, the fierceness in her voice surprising her a little. "This is all a setup."

"You honestly expect us to believe this soap opera-esque bull?" the brown-haired officer said.

"You really did a number on that woman. She's in the hospital right now suffering from that brutal beating and those stab wounds," the other officer said, shaking his head in disgust.

"She is out of her mind. She probably hurt herself. You can't put anything past her," Katherine said.

"We're not a judge or jury, lady," the taller officer said.

"You can't prove-" Katherine began.

"A friend of the victim certainly can," the officer snapped. Rocky and Katherine frowned in confusion.

"What fri-" they began in unison.

"You have the right to remain silent," the officer cut in sharply. Rocky said nothing as the guy began to cuff him. "If you choose to give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law-"

"This is all a mistake!" Katherine exclaimed.

"You have the right to an attorney. If you can't afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Again, you have the right to remain silent," the officer said.

"I'm coming with you," Katherine said to Rocky.

"No. No, Kat. You don't need any more stress. Help me by calling my parents," Rocky said as they began leading him down the hall. The sight made Katherine's chest tighten. He continued to speak to her. "Ask my dad to call Larry Pruitt. He's a lawyer and a friend of my parents'. Everything's gonna be fine. Don't worry. Everything's gonna be fine!"

* * *

Rocky was silently cursing when he and the jacka... officers entered the police station. Attempted murder. Saying that he was dangerously pissed would be understating. Of all the things for that loon to pull... . Never in a million years would he have thought something like this would happen to him. 

Before he and the cops could take another step, a red-haired woman around his age came charging up to him out of nowhere. She looked furious and her eyes were all red, puffy... wild-looking. She began pounding him in the chest repeatedly.

"You bastard!" she screeched. "She might_ die_! She might die!! Don't you have a soul!?"

One of the officers grabbed her and pulled her away. "Settle down, Miss Murphy."

"Are you serious? He tried to kill one of my best friends!" she shrieked, her chest heaving.

Rocky's eyes widened. So this was the friend. Murphy? '_Murphy_, _Murphy, Murphy_...' He was trying to remember if Caitlin had ever mentioned anyone with that last name, but, he was drawing blanks. Of course, he couldn't really focus seeing as how he'd just been accused of a crime he hadn't committed and just been used as a punching bag by some random lunatic. He looked at her. "Murphy?"

She glared at him. "Tess Murphy," she snapped harshly.

Realization filled Rocky. Caitlin had mentioned Tess- several times. The two women had known each other since junior high. Rocky'd never met her- apparently.

Tears sprang to Tess' eyes. "I'll never forget tonight! My doorbell rang, I opened the door and... and... there she was on my porch. All banged up. Bleeding like crazy... . I don't know how she got there or where she was when you attacked her, but, I'm glad she made it to my house." She shook her head, then, hate filled her eyes. "I was horrified! I freaked. I asked her what happened and before she passed out, she said your name. You sick, twisted-"

"Hey, I don't know what happened to Cait, but, I was _nowhere_ near her," Rocky said.

"Bull!" Tess screamed, then, tried to break free of the officer's hold. He tightened his grip. "You were pissed because she didn't want anything more to do with you! She told me all about it just a couple days ago. About how you wouldn't stop calling and pressing. You wouldn't let go- even though you're engaged to marry that girl you knocked up. You still wanted Cait to be some kinda mistress. You are so mesed up!"

Rocky was actually speechless. He was also amazed by what an incredible liar Caitlin was.

Tess was shaking violently. "Youre gonna pay. Especially if she dies. You're gonna pay! You're gonna pay! I hope they lock you up and swallow the key right in front of you, you sick asshole!"

"Maybe we should get you some water," the officer said.

"I don't need any freaking water! I need this night to have never _happened_!" she yelled. Then, she began sobbing explosively. Just like that.

Rocky looked at her in pity. Caitlin'd lied to one of her best friends. Then, his eyes narrowed. Unless this was part of the show. Maybe Tess was in on all this insanity. He watched as the officer led the hysterical woman over to a chair. The officer'd whom'd read Rocky his rights looked at the former superhero.

"Let's go," he said gruffly.

Just as he began leading Rocky towards the interrogation room, a blonde guy came running into the station. He looked around frantically, then, ran right up to Rocky- whom tensed.

'_This better not be another psycho friend_,' he thought, his jaw clenching. He really didn't need any of this crap right now.

The blond guy was breathing heavily. He looked deathly pale. "Are you Rocky?"

"Yeah... why?" Rocky asked suspiciously.

The guy took a deep breath and looked at the impatient police officer. "You... I can't... I don't know..."

"Who are you?" Rocky and the cop asked simultaneously.

"Rocky... there's something you should know," the guy said in a grim tone.

* * *


	13. Chapter 13

Well, decided to update again. I wasn't going to at first, but, the site's okay (for now) and I've just changed my mind. I do that sometimes. LOL.

Anyway, thanks for the support and patience.

And here I go...

* * *

Rocky and the officer stared at the blonde guy. His tone had set off alarm bells in Rocky. "What is it that I need to know and who are you?" Rocky asked.

The guy looked around, then, sighed and focused on Rocky again. "I'm-"

"Brett!" Tess exclaimed, hopping up and running over to the guy. She grabbed his arm. "He tried to kill her, Brett! He tried to_ kill_ her! This twisted jackass tried to kill Cait!"

Brett pried her fingers from his arm. "Calm down, Tess."

She looked at him as though he'd suddenly sprouted feathers and took a couple steps back. "Have you completely_ lost_ it? This creep tried to kill our friend!"

"No, he didn't," Brett said. Rocky's eyebrows shot up. "Tess, Rocky had nothing to do with this. Nothing at all."

"What's happened?" Rocky asked him.

"Well, Cait set this whole thing up- as I'm sure you know. But you don't know how she went about it. All right. My best friend Luke and I have known Cait for years- since high school. Anyway, I was hanging out at Luke's place last night and Cait came over- in a total rage. She kept saying how she just wanted to get you back for breaking her heart. When we finally got her to calm down somewhat, she told us she had an idea," Brett said. He paused for a second. "A pyschotic idea. She wanted Luke or me to... beat her nearly to death- even throw in a few stabs with a knife."

"No. No, no, no. That can't be right, Brett. That can't be what really happened. Rocky is responsible," Tess said.

"He's not," Brett said simply. "Luke and I told her she was crazy and refused her. But, she kept pushing. Kept saying how important it was that Rocky and his fiancee pay. How important it was that their baby grow up without a father. I have _never_ seen her like that. We continued to refuse and tell her that she needed to get some help and move on with her life before she totally broke and wrecked everyone's lives."

"But..." Tess' voice trailed off.

"I know it's hard to hear- it's hard for me to even say. But, that's what happened. She was determined to do this. She had planned it right down to the smallest detail. I told her I'd have no part of it. But... Luke changed his mind," Brett said.

Rocky tensed. "Why?"

"Cait has things on him- secrets that he's scared to death of having revealed. I don't know what they are, but... they're obviously pretty bad. Cait threatened and blackmailed him... he agreed to do it," Brett said, clearly pained. "Just like that."

Tess gasped. "No. Luke wouldn't... Cait wouldn't..."

"It was Luke, Tess. It was Luke. She lied to you. This whole thing was a setup. Cait has clearly gone off the deep end," Brett said seriously. He looked at Rocky. "I won't lie to you, man. I wanted to stay out of this altogether, but... my sympathy for you outweighed my loyalty to Luke. I couldn't let this happen. I mean, you have a fiancee and baby on the way. It's not right."

Rocky nodded. Wow. "Thanks for coming through, man. I know all of this is really tough to deal with."

"I'm just sorry about all of this, man. I had no idea she'd lost her grip like that," Brett said, shaking his head slowly. Then, he looked at the cop. "So, as you've just heard, you've got the wrong guy. The person responsible for this mess besides Caitlin Buchanan is Luke Stephens. And I can take you right to him right now." The cop looked skeptical and Brett sighed. "Officer, I have no reason to make any of this up. I mean, think about it."

"You could easily be a friend of Rocky's. Rocky could've easily-" the cop said.

"This is the first time I've ever met Rocky," Brett said honestly. "Luke Stephens is my best friend. Why would I be here telling you he did this? Why would I purposely try to ruin my own friend like that? It doesn't make any sense."

"All right. We'll check out this Luke," the cop said coolly.

Tess was feeling completely nauseous... and deeply betrayed by the woman she'd considered one of her closest friends. Her head began to spin. Cait had actually blackmailed a friend into nearly killing her... all because of hurt feelings. All because of one guy's rejection. And she'd told outrageous lies. She'd spun the whole thing to make it seem as though it were all Rocky's fault. And Tess'd fallen for it. Why? Because she had no idea her friend was so completely screwed up. Tess' eyes rolled back into her head and someone caught her swiftly when she fainted.

"I should get her home," Brett said, sighing.

* * *

Katherine entered the police station- followed by Rocky's parents. The lawyer was on his way. Katherine walked right up to Rocky and hugged him. Mr. and Mrs. DeSantos looked at the redheaded woman lying limp in a blonde man's arms, then, Mr. DeSantos looked at the cop and narrowed his eyes. 

"You have no right to hold my son," he said angrily.

"They won't be holding him, sir," the blonde man said. "He didn't do this. A friend of mine did and I just told them that. You guys can fill them in. I really need to get Tess home. Again, Rocky... I'm really sorry."

"Don't be. I owe you one, Brett," Rocky said, giving him a grateful look.

"You don't have to worry about that," Brett said with a half-smile. Then, he lifted Tess up in his arms and headed for the doors.

"What happened, sweetheart?" Mrs. DeSantos asked gently. Seeing her son in handcuffs was more than a little too much.

"Well, we've gotta tell our lawyer that we've wasted his time- actually, Cait has," Rocky said. Then, he proceeded to tell his parents and fiancee what'd truly gone down. They were horrified and angry.

"Can't you take those cuffs off of him? He's obviously in the clear now," Katherine said to the cop in a cold voice.

The cop cleared his throat. "I apologize for this. I was simply trying to do my job."

"And you can do it by picking up this Luke person," Katherine said, her voice cold and hard. She knew that this really wasn't the cop's fault, but, his earlier attitude- and his partner's- had really ticked her off. She looked at Rocky. Seeing him being dragged away in handcuffs... . He leaned in and gave her a smile.

"I told you everything'd be fine," he whispered.

* * *

It was nearly two in the morning and Katherine was sitting on the her and Rocky's sofa, staring straight ahead at nothing in particular. All she could think about was Rocky and what could've happened. She knew it wasn't really healthy to be stressing like this, but, she couldn't do much to stop it. She knew that the important thing was that Rocky was fine, but, her mind wouldn't stop whirling. 

'_If_ _Brett hadn't come forward, if Luke hadn't broken down and confessed_...' she thought, then, sighed deeply and shook her head. She looked down at her belly. "Your Daddy... today, I was reminded all over again of why he is so important to me. There are so many bad people in the world, little one. All they care about is getting what they want. They don't care who gets hurt in the process. One of them wants to take your daddy away from you... and me. But we won't let that happen." She closed her eyes.

Kat?" came Rocky's sleepy voice several moments later. She opened her eyes to see him standing in the doorway, rubbing his eyes. He was wearing pajama bottoms and nothing else. She smiled easily, thinking of how adorable he looked. He walked over and sat down next to her. "Why are you still up? Is everything all right?"

"For the most part, yeah. I just wanna stop thinking of how I could've lost you," she said.

"You'll never lose me," he said, pulling her to him and kissing the top of her head.

She looked up at him. "When you were being practically dragged down the hall in those handcuffs, I was... I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you how I felt."

"It's definitely something I never wanna go through again," he said.

"I don't blame you," she said, tears in her eyes. "Rocky... you mean so much to me and now I'm ready more than ever for this family of ours."

"Me, too, Kat," he said.

"Let's make love," she said softly. This'd be their second time. She was surprised to be feeling sexual desire right now, but... it was actually more than that. Deeper than that. She just needed and wanted to be incredibly close to Rocky right now and physically seemed to be the most fitting way.

He looked down into her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Mm-hmm," she said.

He stared at her for several moments, then, nodded. He slowly disentangled himself from her, stood and a held a hand out to her. She suddenly thought of that night a few months ago, the night they'd conceived their baby. She smiled, took his hand and he led the way towards the bedroom.

* * *


	14. Chapter 14

I was hit with the urge to update this since it's been a little while since I last touched it and all.

As always: THANKS!

On I go...

* * *

It was now three months later- fourth Saturday in February. Katherine and Rocky'd gotten married, as planned, in November, Caitlin was currently being handled by the proper authorities, Katherine had been working as a receptionist for the last couple months and Rocky and Katherine'd discovered they would be greeting a baby daughter in two months. Life'd been going pretty well. 

On this particular morning, Rocky was in the kitchen, preparing a scrumptious breakfast for his wife and himself. Katherine was still sleeping as far as he knew. He began whistling as he flipped the pancakes. '_Maybe we should go out to lunch today_. _To that place that just opened up in Reefside_,' he thought.

"Morning," a sleepy-sounding, feminine voice said from behind him.

He turned and smiled. "Morning, ballerina."

She smiled and made her way up to the stove. "Smells wonderful."

"Wouldn't settle for anything less," he said- causing her to chuckle. "Now, why don't you take a seat and let me finish making this amazing meal?"

"I could help-" she began.

"Or you could sit down. Personally, I like option B," he said, winking.

"Yes, Your Greatness," she said, giving him a mock salute. Then, she turned and headed to the table. She looked around the room after sitting down and a sigh of contentment escaped her lips. "Rocky, I know I've said this a lot lately, but... I am so _happy_. About everything. It feels like it's all... just right. Like it's the way it's supposed to be."

"I hear ya. It's like... the puzzle's _complete_ now. Well, actually, it won't _really _be complete until my little princess makes her first appearance," Rocky said.

"Speaking of the little princess, what are we gonna name her?" Katherine asked.

"Your department, Mrs. D," he said.

She smirked. "Typical. Guys have it so easy. You all have key phrases that can get you out of doing pretty much anything."

"Ain't it the greatest?" he quipped.

Katherine rolled her eyes and laughed, then, sighed again and sat back. A thoughtful expression appeared on her pretty face. "Names, names, names. Let's see now..." Her eyes lit up several moments later. "How about Karina?"

"It's pretty- just like she's gonna be- so... Karina it is," he said.

"Great. Now, middle names," Katherine said.

"That-" he began.

"Is my department. I've heard," she said, smirking at the back of her husband's head. "Rose. Karina Rose DeSantos."

"Nice ring to it," he said, nodding.

"Definitely. I think this is probably the fastest anyone's picked out a name for their kid," Katherine said with a laugh. He laughed in agreement. Sometime later, the couple were sitting at the table, eating the delicious breakfast. Katherine looked up. "I love you."

Rocky's head snapped up. He wasn't really shocked since things had been feeling different between them for awhile now. But to actually hear the words... wow.

"And I'm sure you know that I'm not just talking friendship. I'm _in_ love with you. I'm so in love with you," Katherine said seriously. It really felt good to hear herself say the words. It made her feel almost giddy. She loved Rocky.

He put his fork down and smiled at her. "I'm so in love with you, too, Kat." Then, he pushed his chair back, stood and walked over to her. She looked up, he leaned down and they shared a deep kiss. They grinned at each other when it ended. "I love my wife and she loves me. Somebody contact the media," he said- causing her to laugh.

* * *

"You really didn't like the place?" Rocky said several hours later. 

"I really didn't," Katherine replied.

The two of them were walking down an aisle in the supermarket- with Rocky pushing the shopping cart. They'd had lunch at the new place in Reefside almost an hour earlier- both had different opinions of it.

"Kat, did an invisible alien steal your sense of taste before we got there or something?" Rocky said, laughing.

She laughed as well. "I should be asking _you_ that! That burger was horrible. So were those fries. And the lemonade tasted like dishwater."

"I don't get it. My food was pretty decent," he said.

"Maybe they liked you better," Katherine teased.

"Like you can blame 'em. I'm more delightful than you," he said, mock serious.

"Not even in a dream, Rockford," she said, her eyes dancing. He laughed. "Cereal. We need cereal," she said, nodding.

"And pickles. Ice cream, chips, strawberries, soda, frozen pizza, cookies, brownies-" Rocky was saying.

"Or we could just find the owner and make him an offer on the store," Katherine joked.

"Best idea I've heard in weeks," Rocky said before kissing her cheek.

"I love your insanity, Rocky. Keep it," she said, looping her arm through his.

"Whatever m'lady desires," he said as they turned a corner. "You know, to tell the truth, buying a grocery store _is_ a pretty good idea. We should do it one day. Or we could just build our own. That'd be sweet. I mean, think about it. We'd always-"

Suddenly, Katherine stopped in her tracks. "Rocky!"

He stopped as well and looked at her in concern. "Are you all right? Is it the baby?"

"No. No. I just... I thought I saw..." Katherine's voice trailed off.

"What?" he asked.

She looked at him. "Cait. I thought I saw Cait. I know it's silly, but-"

"It's not silly. It's natural. The woman tried to ruin our lives and she's nuts," he said. "You can't just completely forget about her. I'm sure there are gonna be plenty of times where we think we see her, but, we've gotta remember that she's being taken care of."

"You're right. You're absolutely right," Katherine said. She knew that Caitlin wasn't exactly available to cause any trouble for them at the moment.

"Yeah. She's outta our lives and, hopefully, she'll get the help she needs," he said.

"I actually miss ditzy Cait. She was kinda annoying, but, that's a hundred times better than psychotic," Katherine said, shaking her head.

"You got that right. I'd take- wait a second," he said, his eyes widening.

"What is it?" Katherine asked.

"I think we're both seeing things now!" he said, then, headed off before he could stop himself. Katherine frowned, but, followed her husband. She gasped when they reached a brunette woman.

"It _is_ her!" Katherine exclaimed. The woman blinked.

"What are you doing out?" Rocky demanded.

"Huh?"

"You're not supposed to be out! Not now!" Katherine said, her own eyes wide now.

"What the hell are you talk-"

"Forget it," Rocky snapped. "I can't believe this!"

"What are you guys- a couple of loons or something? Get away from me."

"You just stay away from us," Katherine snapped.

"No problem there, Blondie."

"What did you do, Cait? Huh? How'd you manage to get out?" Rocky demanded.

"Cait? Oh, my- this happens all the time, but, it'll _never_ stop being annoying."

"What are you talking about?" Rocky and Katherine asked in unison.

"I'm not Cait. I'm Stacy- her twin sister."

* * *


	15. Chapter 15

**Here's another update.**

**To all readers/reviewers: thanks for the support.**

**Excuse any errors that may appear.**

**Let's get this show on the road. :-)**

* * *

"_What_?" Katherine and Rocky exclaimed at the same time. 

Stacy rolled her eyes. "I'm her twin sister. Geez."

"Cait never mentioned having a twin," Rocky said, narrowing his eyes.

"Not all that shocking seeing as how we've never been all that close," Stacy said as she scanned the contents on the shelves. "Ohh. Definitely buying these."

"How do we know you're not really Cait?" Katherine asked slowly.

"I don't give a flying crap what you believe. Cait is an annoying wack job that happens to be locked up as we speak. I'm nothing nor have I ever been anything like her- thank goodness. I'd never go all squirrelly over some dumb-ass guy," Stacy said, scoffing. "Only my ditzy, stupid sister would."

Rocky studied her closely. She was a little shorter and her hair wasn't as long as Cait's and she looked as though her two favorite expressions were sour and smug, so, she was clearly telling the truth. Besides, this girl _did_ seem different- not to mention the fact that she was wearing clothes Cait never would've worn. There was just something about her that didn't exactly scream '_Cait_.'

"She's not Cait," he said to Katherine.

Stacy glared at them, then, her eyes widened a little. "Wait a second. You're him, aren't you? You're the guy- Rocky. Meaning Blondie here's the fiancee."

"Wife," Katherine corrected.

"Oh, so, you went on ahead and jumped that broom, huh? Nice," Stacy said, not sounding all that interested.

"How'd you know we were-" Rocky asked.

"Cait's friend Tess told me. Wow," Stacy said, laughing. "I was wondering when Bubbles would go completely bananas."

"Bubbles?" Katherine said, lifting an eyebrow.

"Her nickname. I gave it to her when we were kids. She was always an overly cheerful, bubbleheaded moron. The chasing butterflies type who loved rainbows and probably believed there really was a pot of gold at the end. I gotta get some smokes," Stacy said, then, turned and headed off. Rocky and Katherine looked at each other, then, followed her. Stacy looked over her shoulder and smirked. "Why follow me? Seeing as how I look like my lamebrained sister, I'd think I'd be the last person you'd wanna be around."

"You know... before she, well, lost it... Cait really wasn't that bad. Sure, she was kinda dense and even irritating, but, she wasn't a bad person in the beginning," Katherine said.

Stacy snorted. "I think I know my sister a little better than you do, Blondie."

"It's Kat," Katherine said, annoyance surging through her.

"Who cares? This isn't a freakin' cocktail party," Stacy said dully. "Anyhow, _I_ grew up with Caitlin. A part of me still wishes we were separated at birth."

'_Saying_ _she's a little rough around the edges would be a total understatement_,' Rocky thought, glancing at his wife.

"Growing up with someone doesn't necessarily mean you really know them," Katherine said.

"You a shrink or something?" Stacy said, smirking.

"Just stating a fact," Katherine shot back.

"Whatever," Stacy said flatly as she grabbed two packs of cigarettes. "I think I'm the one in the right here, Kit."

"Ka- oh, forget it," Katherine said.

"Cait had a lotta friends. Some of 'em actually _didn't_ believe in magic lamps and flying carpets. I was starting to think that maybe there was hope for her after all. Even though she had a trillion, stupid, stuffed animals and her room was painted light blue- with the sun on the ceiling and flowers and bunnies on the walls. Ugh," Stacy said, curling her upper lip.

"Wow," Rocky said with a low whistle. That_ was_ a little much.

"And she and my parents actually called me weird just because I wanted my room to look a like a jail cell. Why not? Hell, that's how I felt at the time. My uncle bought me and Cait this horse and Cait wanted to name him Marshmallow. She had the stupidest names for every pet we ever had," Stacy said, rolling her eyes. Then, she looked at Katherine and Rocky and her eyes turned cold. "We're done here. You wanna talk _Cait_, go see her stupid friends or my parents. It'd be wise as hell not to try and find me. _Believe_ that. "

* * *

"It's just...weird. Cait has a sister. _Twin_ sister," Katherine said that evening. She and Rocky were having dinner in the kitchen. 

"I know! I don't get why Cait never mentioned her," Rocky said as he moved his pasta around on his plate.

"I do. Stacy doesn't exactly seem like a topic anybody would wanna discuss," Katherine said before drinking some of her water. "Something's off about her. She seems... dangerous. I just kept hearing warning bells in my head, Rocky."

"Yeah. She wasn't exactly giving off warm and gooey vibes, was she?" he said, sighing. "She could be just as crazy as Cait- if not crazier."

"I think it's a different kind of crazy. I mean, Caitlin was really a danger to _herself_. Stacy seems like she'd be a danger to others," Katherine said, shaking her head. "The drama may not be over for us, Rocky."

"I don't wanna believe that," he said.

"Neither do I," she said softly.

"She didn't seem to care about us. Hopefully, that wasn't an act. But... we'll just have to keep our guards up anyway," Rocky said, nodding.

"Definitely," Katherine agreed.

* * *

Stacy knocked sharply on the door of Valerie and Rick Hinton's house. Valerie- a thirty-six-year-old blonde- was a close friend of Stacy's and Rick- a dark-haired, thirty-seven-year-old man- was Valerie's husband of six years. Stacy knocked again- in impatience. The door was opened by Valerie several moments later. 

"Damn, Stace. You're acting like you're the cops or something. Get in here," she said, stepping aside.

"Sorry. Where's Rick?" Stacy asked as her friend closed and locked the door.

"At his brother's," Valerie replied as Stacy followed her to the den. "Want anything to drink?"

"Any Budweiser?" Stacy asked as she sat on the sofa.

"I'm sure Rick has a few left," Valerie said, then, exited the room. She returned with a bottle a minute later and handed it to Stacy. "There ya go."

"Thanks, Val," Stacy said.

"Sure. So, what've you been up to? I haven't heard from you in a few weeks," Valerie said as she sat on the sofa as well.

Stacy shrugged, then, downed some of the beer. "Not much. Had the "what do you plan to do with your life" argument with my mom, quit my job and dumped that jackass Cord. How 'bout you?"

"Same ol', same ol'. Your mom's still on your case, huh?" Valerie said with a smile.

"It's her favorite hobby. She can't accept the fact that I'm not going back to college. Hey, life- as sucky and crappy as it may be- is what _really_ educates you. Any idiot knows that," Stacy said. "So, what's the word on the baby business?"

Valerie sighed. She and her husband had been trying to have a baby for quite some time. "I wish I was pregnant right now. I want a baby, Stacy- more than anything. I know that there are now a lotta ways to increase chances of conception, but... I don't wanna go through any procedures or craziness or anything. And adoption... . Hell, I just want a baby _now_."

"Actually... I can solve your problem. No procedures, no worries. Just let me handle it," Stacy said.

"How?" Valerie asked.

"Just trust me. You'll have to wait a little while, but... you'll definitely have a baby. Just leave it to me," Stacy said, smiling.

* * *


	16. Chapter 16

**Here's the next installment.**

**Thanks to all readers and reviewers.**

**Now, let's do this...**

* * *

Katherine awoke the next day- Sunday morning- to the sound of loud... something. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, then, sat up and stretched. She frowned as she tried to figure out just what the noise was. Then, it hit her. Rocky was singing in the shower... purposely off-key. The blonde woman looked down at her swollen belly. "That's one of the many things your daddy likes to do to annoy Mommy," she told the unborn little girl- whom kicked in response. "Glad to see you agree," Katherine said with a laugh. 

The former pink ranger tossed the covers aside and slowly brought her feet to the floor. She stretched once again, then, stood, headed out of the bedroom and across the hall to the nursery. She stood in the doorway and smiled at the sight of the adorable room. "I know you're not here yet, baby, but, I just know this room suits you perfectly."

Several moments later, Rocky- who had a towel around his waist- stepped into the hall and grinned at the sight of his wife. "Who let this beautiful blonde in my apartment?"

She looked at him and grinned. "Your wife did on her way out. She had to run a couple of errands. I told her I was an old friend of yours and I wanted to catch up."

"And she bought that?" he quipped as he made his way up to her.

"No hesitation at all. She won't be back for awhile, you know," she said, winking.

"Oh, yeah? What to do, what to do?" he said, pretending to think.

"I'm sure two old friends can think of _something_," she said, nodding. The couple burst out laughing and hugged. "Morning, sweetie."

"Morning, ballerina," he said, kissing her cheek.

"By the way, the singing... don't hold out for any record deals. Tanya you're not," she teased, her eyes dancing.

"Are you kidding? I can sing circles around Tanya," he said, his eyes dancing as well.

"Wanna tell her that?" she said, amused.

"No, thanks. I enjoy breathing," he said- causing her to laugh. He grinned. "So, what does my queen and little princess want for breakfast?"

"Waffles, scrambled eggs and sausage would be heavenly," she said as they entered their own bedroom.

And a little fruit, too?" he asked as he grabbed his boxers.

"What do you think, Karina?" Katherine asked her belly. Then, she nodded. "It's a yes."

"Great," Rocky said with a laugh.

* * *

"Go to hell!" Stacy yelled, glaring at Cord- her ex-boyfriend. It was now two weeks later- Saturday afternoon- and while Katherine was currently enjoying her baby shower with her friends at Adam and Tanya's, Stacy was standing in her apartment- hating life in general and biting her ex's head off.

Cord grabbed her arm and she spat in his face. "Bitch," he snapped, wiping his cheek. She jerked away and slapped him.

"I want you to get the hell outta here, you sack of crap. I'm busy," Stacy said harshly. They'd had a, well, complex, love-hate relationship for the last two years. She wanted him out of her sight right now before she tasted his blood.

"I don't care! We need to talk," he said, grabbing her hand and yanking her towards the tattered couch. He sat her down, then, sat himself. "Where is it, Stace?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" she asked in annoyance as she snatched her half-empty pack of cigarettes up off of the cluttered coffee table.

"Don't screw with me, you damned thief. I know you took my watch. You pawned it, didn't you?" he said angrily.

She laughed. "You don't have anything worth stealing, Cord."

"Stacy, knock it the hell off," he said, snatching the cigarettes and tossing them across the room. "You're a professional thief- not to mention scam artist."

"Like you have room to talk," she said, snorting.

"Just shut up," he snapped.

She smirked. "You never did like hearing the truth. That's one of your hugest flaws. Now, out. I'm working on something and I need to be alone."

"What? You thinking about who you're gonna screw over next?" he sneered.

"Exactly," she said, looking into his eyes.

* * *

"Hey, it's you two again. Small world, huh?" 

Rocky and Katherine- whom'd just come back from having dinner at Katherine's parents' and were now standing in front of their apartment- looked over their shoulders to see Stacy across the hall and two doors down. Huh? The married couple looked at each other, then, at Cait's sister again.

"So, ya live here," Stacy said, nodding.

"Stacy," Katherine said.

"What are you doing here?" Rocky asked.

"What are you- a detective?" Stacy said with a lighthearted laugh as she walked over to them. "Just kidding with you. An old friend of mine lives in this building. Actually, I'm glad to see you guys again."

"You are?" the couple said in unison.

"I know I was, well, a bitch the last time we saw each other and I'm sorry about that. I've never been the easiest pill to swallow- ask anybody. I'm also sorry about the crap Cait pulled. I mean, you don't just screw with people's lives like that. It's just not cool, you know," Stacy said seriously.

Rocky and Katherine just stared at her- unsure of what to say.

Stacy took a deep breath. "I was all crabby 'cause I'd just lost my job and all that. That's why I'm glad I saw you guys. I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" Katherine asked.

"Firstly, what are you guys having- boy or girl?" Stacy asked.

"Girl," Rocky replied.

"Huh. That's great. Hard as it is to believe, I've always loved kids. And they actually take to me pretty well," Stacy said.

"That's... nice. But why are you telling us this?" Katherine asked.

"Are you gonna be a housewife? A stay-at-home mom?" Stacy asked.

"Well, I do plan to work, but, what-" Katherine asked.

"Then, you two need a nanny... and I'd be a great choice," Stacy said, grinning.

* * *


	17. Chapter 17

**Here's the next installment.**

**As always, your support and all that is not going unappreciated.**

**I was planning to try and update sometime next week, but, oh, well.**

**On with the show...**

* * *

"Excuse me?" Katherine said.

"What?" Rocky said at the exact same time.

Stacy's eyebrows shot up, then, she burst out laughing. Rocky and Katherine exchanged confused glances. Stacy shook her head and grinned. "Man. It seems like all I do is shock you guys. Wild, huh? But, seriously, I really am great with kids. Ask anybody who knows me. Great rapport with them."

"Uh-" Katherine began.

"Tons of experience. I'm telling you," Stacy said.

That's... good to know, but-" Rocky was saying.

Stacy held up her hands. "Don't give me an answer now. I'll give you my number and address. After you've thought it over, you can call or come over to give me your answer. Now, lemme just find _something_ in my purse to write on and we'll be all set. Well, almost all set." After she'd scribbled a number and an address on a piece of paper, she handed it to Rocky- whom just stared at it.

"Stacy-" Katherine began.

"I'm sorry, Kat, but, I really have to get going. See- or hear- you guys soon. Hopefully!" Stacy said, then, turned and hurried off. Rocky and Katherine stared after her, then, slowly shifted their focus to each other.

Several moments later, Rocky unlocked the door to their apartment and let Katherine enter first. He followed, then, closed and locked the door. The couple headed over to the couch and sat. Both stared straight ahead for a few seconds, then...

"I don't want that woman anywhere near the baby," the couple said in unison. They looked at each other and Katherine sighed.

"We don't even need a nanny," the blonde said. "Your cousin runs that daycare. But, even if she didn't-"

"Cait's look-a-like wouldn't even make it on the list," Rocky finished.

"Exactly," Katherine said.

"We don't even know her and I don't wanna_ get_ to know her. She's Cait's twin and something's just not right about her," Rocky said, tossing the piece of paper on the coffee table.

"I'm with you all the way," Katherine said.

"And what's up with this address business? Like we'd really go to her_ house_," he said, shaking his head.

"Just what we need. Stacy and us with no eyewitnesses," Katherine said dryly.

"You said it," Rocky said, then, he sighed. "On a lighter note, you want some tea and cookies or anything?"

"You're gonna spoil me until I hit the delivery room, aren't you?" she said with a soft laugh.

"That's the plan, ma'am," he said, grinning.

"Then, by all means, kind sir, pamper away," she teased. He laughed, they stood and headed towards the kitchen together. Katherine took a seat at the table.

"Aren't those gifts for the baby adorable?" she said. "I know the clothes are gonna be so cute on her."

"Yeah. My princess is gonna be the new meaning of stylish," Rocky said- causing his wife to laugh.

"I can't believe she'll really be here in a few weeks. I'm just so... excited and nervous at the same time," Katherine said, slowly rubbing her belly. "Excited and anxious to see her face. To hold and kiss her. Nervous about parenting."

"Well, that's natural, ballerina. I'm nervous, too. But, we'll always give her what she really needs: our love," he said.

"You're right. Our love and support," his wife said, then, looked down at her belly. "Karina, you're really lucky to have this man as a father." She looked up. "Almost as lucky as I am to have him as a husband." He looked over his shoulder and smiled at her. "I love you so much, Rocky."

"I love you, too," he said.

* * *

A week later- Saturday afternoon- Stacy was sitting in Valerie and Rick's kitchen, smoking a cigarette and staring at their telephone. She was house-sitting for the couple for the weekend. Stacy smirked. This was the number and address she'd given the DeSantoses. She was nowhere near surprised that she'd yet to hear from them. She knew they weren't going to take her on as a nanny for their "precious widdle one". 

'_They_ _passed my "let's see if they're a couple huge idiots" test. Great for them_,' she thought, nodding.

But, of course, Stacy saw this as no big deal at all. She'd been resourceful for as long as she could remember. She'd get that baby... whom would be appearing very, very soon. She owed this to Valerie and Rick. They'd saved her butt on countless occasions. They were great people and they deserved this baby. Rocky and Katherine could just go off and have another one.

'_Val_ _needs this baby_. _I'm pretty sure she needs it more than they do_,' Stacy thought as she stood and slowly exited the kitchen. '_Val'd_ _be a great mother. She and Rick has a lot to offer a_ _child_.'

She found herself in the couple's bedroom several seconds later. She opened Valerie's jewelry box. She picked up Val's diamond bracelet and felt that familiar tingle of excitement. An eager light appeared in her eyes. She loved the rush she got from stealing- especially valuable things. Maybe she'd take this and Valerie could think she'd just misplaced it or something.

'_Man_! _I could get a lot for this bracelet! And that necklace! Maybe I should just talk her into_ _letting me have 'em. I wouldn't feel right taking it. She's too good a person. On the other hand, Val understands that sometimes people have to do what they can to get what they need_,' she thought as excitement surged through her. Her eyes were now shining.

Then, she quickly snapped back to reality and put the bracelet back. The jewelry business could wait. There were more significant issues to deal with at the moment. '_Stay_ _focused, Buchanan_,' she told herself as she stared longingly into the jewelry box. Too bad, though. She sighed, then, closed the box. She looked around and her eyes landed on the closet.

Her eyes lit up again when she remembered what was in there. She made her way up to it and slid the door back. It was a huge closet. She looked at her friends' wardrobe and whistled. '_They sure_ _would be able to spoil that kid, that's for sure_.'

Stacy walked over to a chair and dragged it towards the closet. She kicked off her shoes, then, moved to stand on the chair. She placed her hands on the shelf, stood on the tips of her toes and began slowly looking from left to right. When she spotted a certain shoebox in the corner, she cheered silently and grabbed it.

The brunette hopped off the chair, walked over to the bed, sat and took the top off of the shoebox. She smiled as she lifted Rick's sleek, black nine millimeter out. Rick had several guns and she was pretty fascinated with his collection. Valerie wasn't. She hated guns. Stacy aimed the gun at the closet and pretended to fire. "Bang, bang, bang." She laughed.

"Yeah, don't worry, Val. You'll get your baby. No. matter. what. it. takes," she said in a quiet voice as she stroked the gun.

* * *


	18. Chapter 18

**I've been blocked- again- and, honestly, I'm still kinda blocked. But I'm gonna try to push on through- for y'all. **

**By the way, this chappie is Stacy-free. LOL.**

**Thank you, as always, for the feedback.**

**Let's do it...**

* * *

"She's so beautiful," Rocky said, shaking his head slowly. 

"I won't argue. She's an angel. We created an angel, Rocky," Katherine said softly.

It was now the second Saturday in April and- on this particular afternoon- the DeSantos couple was sitting on their bed, staring down at their daughter- whom was in her mother's arms. Katherine'd given birth to baby Karina just two days earlier. The little girl- whom had blond hair and brown eyes- stared up at her proud, beaming parents in wonder.

Katherine glanced at her husband. "Again, I'm sorry about your hand, honey."

"Eh, don't worry about it, ballerina. Look at it this way: I now have at least an _idea _of what labor is like," he said jokingly- causing her to laugh. He grinned, then, refocused on Karina. "Hey, there, princess. Your mommy and I are so glad you're finally here. You do know that you're one of the two most beautiful people in the world, right? I don't think I have to tell you who the other person is." He looked at his wife.

Katherine smiled as a warm sensation washed over her. "You're too wonderful to be real," she said before kissing him softly on the lips. The baby made a soft, cooing noise and her parents grinned at her. Then, Katherine's eyes widened and she gasped.

"Something wrong?" Rocky asked.

She looked at him. "No. It's just that... well, we're a family now, Rocky. We're a family." Just saying that filled her with a contentment she didn't think existed. Family. The couple smiled at each other, both thinking of how happy they were feeling. Thinking of how complete they felt. Just then, Karina made a noise that basically said: "Hello, new baby here, people. Back to me."

"She's gonna be homecoming queen," Rocky said, nodding.

"And head cheerleader," Katherine said with a laugh.

"And single for the rest of her life," he said. His wife rolled her blue eyes. "What did I say?" he asked innocently. He gently took his daughter's tiny hand and she cooed. "No guy's ever gonna be good enough for her. They all have... let's just say... cooties. Yeah, that's what we'll go with for now. Dirty, dirty cooties. Except Daddy. Right, princess?"

"Oh, I'm sure she'll "agree" now. But, you know you're gonna be having serious showdowns when the time actually comes," Katherine said, grinning.

He groaned. "Don't remind me. Hey, we never had lunch. You hungry?"

"Yeah," Katherine said. "I'll just go simple, though."

"Hot dogs?" he suggested.

"Sounds great. I can't remember the last time I even had one," Katherine said.

"Same here," he said before leaning over and kissing his daughter's forehead. "Daddy'll be right back." Then, he got off of the bed and exited the room.

Katherine looked down into her daughter's awe-filled eyes and a surge of strong, maternal love coursed through her body. She was incredibly overwhelmed by the fact that she was holding this little person. Little angel. Her little angel baby. Tears filled her eyes and a soft smile lit her face.

"I love you," she whispered.

* * *

Three weeks later, a piercing, ear-splitting wail rang throughout the DeSantos residence on that _very_ early Sunday morning. This was, of course, a regular occurrence. Katherine groaned and Rocky unconsciously pulled the covers up over his head. His wife's eyes opened and she stared at the ceiling for a couple seconds, then, she yawned and looked over at the clock on her bedside table. It was almost five in the morning. 

The blonde looked at her husband and pulled the covers off of his face. "Rocky?"

"Pick whatever drapes you want, Kat. It really doesn't matter to me," he mumbled, turning onto his side.

She began shaking his shoulder insistently. "Rocky, wake up. The baby's crying and it's your turn."

He groaned, then, slowly opened his eyes. "What time is it?" he asked before yawning, then, rubbing his eyes.

"Almost five," she said. "You better get in there."

He turned to look at her. "If you take this, I'll take over totally the next few nights. What do you say?" She replied by simply looking at him and he smiled sheepishly. "Not gonna buy it, are ya?"

"I won't even rent it," she said sweetly.

He nodded, then, blinked a couple times, took a deep breath and got out of bed. "Daddy is on the way." On his way out of the room, he tripped over something. "What the- why would anyone put their shoes right in the doorway?"

"They're your shoes, hon," she said as she yawned again.

"Oh, yeah," he said, then, kicked them out of the way and headed across the hall.

Just then, Katherine became aware of loud knocking at the front door and she sighed in annoyance. She already knew who it was- their neighbor, Mrs. Smythe. The middle-aged woman was the only one who complained about Karina. Katherine got out of bed, exited the room and headed down the hall, muttering. She understood that people needed their sleep and she sympathized, but, Mrs. Smythe was the type that always _had_ to have something to complain about- she lived for it. She rarely smiled.

The former ranger unlocked and opened the door to, sure enough, find Mrs. Smythe there. The woman had her "morning frown" in place and she was in a blue bathrobe, her arms folded across her chest.

"Hi, Mrs. Smythe," Katherine said quietly.

"Well, you _must _be! Mrs. DeSantos, I have always been a very patient person, but, this is getting to be quite ridiculous," Mrs. Smythe said, glaring at the younger woman.

"Again, we're really sorry, Mrs. Smythe. Rocky's taking care of it right now," Katherine said. It still amazed her that Mrs. Smythe had raised four children- meaning she shouldn't act as though babies were the latest invention!

"Do you realize that it's not even _five_ yet? Do _any _of you realize that?" Mrs. Smythe said shrilly- even though Karina's cries had subsided.

"Rocky and I do, but, unless I missed something, Karina can't tell time yet," Katherine said dryly- unable to help herself.

Mrs. Smythe gasped. "Honestly! Sarcasm is not a necessity at the moment, young lady."

"Mrs. Smythe, the situation is now under control, so, if there's nothing else-" Katherine began.

"There are _other _people, Mrs. DeSantos. You and your husband should pick up a dictionary and look up "considerate". It's pretty clear that you both have forgotten the meaning completely," Mrs. Smythe said coldly.

Katherine's eyes flashed. "Mrs. Smythe, my baby doing what every baby does is not inconsiderate. It's natural. It's not like Rocky and I are blasting our stereos or having wild parties up on the roof. Now, _again_, I apologize-"

"Those of us who _aren't_ noisy beyond belief deserves_ far_ more than a verbal apology," Mrs. Smythe said, lifting her head.

"Should I have Karina make you a card or would you prefer Rocky and I bake a cake?" Katherine said dully. Being polite to and trying to reason with this woman would be hard for anyone.

"Of all the nerve... . This is not an amusing matter, young lady. If this situation doesn't improve, I'll have to-" Mrs. Smythe was saying.

"Mrs. Smythe-" Katherine began.

"I'll let it rest- for now," the other woman said stiffly, then, turned and stalked back across the hall.

Katherine couldn't help crossing her eyes and sticking out her tongue at the back of the woman's head before closing and locking the door. '_I_ _wish she'd go for a ride on her broom sometimes_,' she thought grouchily as she headed for Rocky's and her bedroom. Mrs. Smythe could drive a crazy person insane.

Rocky- whom'd gotten the baby back to sleep- walked into the room just as his wife sat down on the bed. "Mrs. Smythe?"

"The one and only," Katherine said with a sigh as he got into bed. "I think she stays up every night making lists of complaints about us."

"Wouldn't surprise me. Man. You'd think we were having twenty-four-hour orgies in here or something," Rocky said, shaking his head. "Well, Karina won't be in that stage forever and we definitely won't be _here_ forever. Let's get some sleep."

Katherine pulled the covers back, got into her spot and moved close to her husband- whom pulled her closer. "Love you," she mumbled.

"Love you, too," he mumbled before they closed their eyes simultaneously.

* * *


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note**:

I know, I know. It's been awhile. Well, I'm back. Before I go on, though, I just wanna inform y'all that this fic was nominated at the **WAC awards** site. The **categories** are: **Best Portrayal of a** **Power Ranger, Best Long Form Chapter Story, Best Ranger Couple, Best Angst, Best Romance. Also, I was nominated for Best Author.** If whomever nominated me is a reader/reviewer of this story...** BIG, BIG thanks**! The **WAC link** in my profile, so, **please nominate** your faves because there are so many deserving authors/stories on this site.

Anyway, I'm gonna try and make this story worthy of those nominations...

* * *

It was now a few weeks later- Saturday afternoon- and Katherine's mother'd come over for a visit. Rocky, however, was out running a few errands for Katherine and himself. Mrs. Hillard and her daughter were in the living room, playing with six-week-old Karina. Mrs. Hillard looked up and at her daughter. A warmth filled her. 

"You've got the look, dear," she said.

Katherine looked at her mother in confusion. "What look?"

"The same look all loving mothers get when their child's in their presence. It's a look of complete contentment and indescribable happiness. I still and will always get that look and feeling when I see you," Mrs. Hillard said with a soft smile.

"Oh, Mom. That's really beautiful. And you're right. Karina makes me so happy. I really do feel like I'm floating. And, of course, there's her father," Katherine said, her face lighting up even more- if possible. "He is too incredible for words and everything's so much better than either of us thought it would be. Sometimes, I still pinch myself to see if all this love and happiness is real." 

"Oh, Kat. I can't even tell you how good it makes me feel to see you like this," Mrs. Hillard said, then, looked down at her granddaughter- whom she was holding. "And, you, little lady, are just the most precious thing I've ever seen." The baby cooed in response and the two women laughed. Mrs. Hillard looked at her daughter again. "So, has that "lovely" neighbor of yours been any trouble lately?"

Katherine laughed. "Not really. She rolls her eyes and mutters every time she sees Rocky or me, but, she hasn't said much."

"Sleep is very important, but, the way you told me that woman carried on... I'm afraid she didn't get many hugs as a child," Mrs. Hillard said- causing her daughter to laugh.

"Actually, Rocky said something like that," Katherine said before smiling at her still cooing daughter. "I love you so much, angel."

* * *

"Where've you been lately?" Valerie asked after Stacy'd let her into her apartment about an hour later. 

Stacy shrugged casually. "I've just been busy thinking of ways to carry out certain plans."

"And what would those plans be?" Valerie asked the younger woman as they both sat on the couch.

"Actually, it's only one plan: the 'getting your baby' plan," Stacy said smoothly. Valerie gave her look of confusion and Stacy went on. "Remember me telling you that I could solve your baby problem? I told you to leave everything to me?"

Valerie thought for a few moments. "Yeah, I remember. But, I didn't really take you seriously, Stace," she said with a laugh.

"Well, you probably should've 'cause I have the perfect kid for you and Rick," Stacy said, thinking of how she'd seen the happy couple out with their new baby just a couple days ago. They hadn't seen her, though. She'd made sure of that. "It's a baby girl and she's not even two months old yet. She even has blonde hair like you. You'll fall in love."

"Stacy, what are you talking about? What, you found someone who has a kid they don't want or something?" Valerie asked.

"Oh, they want her. But, you and Rick are the ones that _deserve_ her. That's why I wanna get her for you. I've just been trying to come up with the best way to go about it. I came close these last couple weeks, but-" Stacy was saying.

"Whoa! Hold everything," Valerie said. Stacy looked at her now incredulous friend. "Stacy... are you sitting here next to me actually saying that you've been planning to... _steal _a baby?"

"If that's the word you wanna use. All I know is that you guys honestly do deserve this kid, Val. Rocky and Kat- those are the birth parents- can have other kids. I'm sure of it. Hell, they look healthy to me. But, the point is-" Stacy was saying.

"Have you lost your _mind_?" Valerie exclaimed, astonishment in her eyes. "Stacy, you can't just take someone's baby! And what makes you think Rick or I would've been _okay_ with it? You- wait a second. Rocky and Kat. Why does that sound familiar?"

Stacy sighed. "Because it is. Rocky's the guy my sister went all nutty over and Kat's his wife. Now, as I was saying, the point is-"

"Your sister blackmailed one of her friends into practically killing her so she could accuse Rocky of attempted murder!" Valerie said, then, blinked as she realized what she'd just said. Wow. Saying it aloud like that had given her a chill. She looked at Stacy. "I can't_ believe_ you! Cait put them through that crap and now you wanna steal their kid? This is unreal!"

"You know what I can't believe, Val? Your reaction to this whole thing. I mean, I'm your friend and I'm trying to help you by giving you the child you deserve," Stacy said.

"What about what Rocky and Kat deserve? What about what that baby deserves? Huh?" Valerie said, anger surging through her now. "You're actually fine with taking her away from her parents and letting them suffer like that. I knew you were a little out there, Stacy- hell, I've always seen it as part of your charm in a way- but, this is psychotic!"

Stacy rolled her eyes in annoyance. "It's being helpful, Val. Why can't you be, I don't know, _touched_ by how much I obviously care about you and Rick?"

"_You're_ touched for being content with this and for thinking Rick and I would be," Valerie said harshly.

"I'm not crazy, Val. Geez. I know it sounds wild, but, if you'd at least _try_ and see it the way I do, you'd understand. You guys have helped me out more times than I can count. I think this is a huge way to repay you," Stacy said.

"This wouldn't be helping anyone! You can't steal someone's baby. You just... you don't _do_ things like that unless you're disturbed," Valerie said, still unable to wrap her mind around the absurdity and cruelty of the very idea. "You wanna "repay" Rick and me? Buy us a cake!"

"Very funny, Val," Stacy said dryly.

"I'm not joking," Valerie snapped. "Kidnapping isn't a favor, Stacy. It's not funny or cute in any form or fashion."

"Come on, Val. Stop being so dramatic and start being a little happy about how strong my love is for you guys," Stacy said.

"Why don't you start thinking about Rocky and Kat's love for their baby?" Valerie shot back.

"Again, I'm sure they can have more kids," Stacy said.

"You can't replace kids, Stacy. Just get this idea out of your head right now. Just because something makes sense in your brain doesn't mean it makes sense," Valerie said. She was just overwhelmed- by the whole idea and the fact that Stacy actually believed she should be praised for it.

Stacy took her friend's hand. "Val... I owe you and Rick so much. Why can't you see this as the amazing thing that it really is?"

The other woman snatched her hand away and stood. "I don't know what more to say except that it's scary that you thought this was a great plan."

"Val-" Stacy began.

"No. Just forget this insanity," Valerie said as she headed for the door.

* * *

It was now night time and Stacy was sitting on her couch, channel-surfing. She wasn't really paying attention to the colorful images on the television screen because her mind was on Valerie's reaction to her idea. '_I_ _just can't believe she thinks this is crazy. How can she not see how perfect_ _this is? Maybe she's just worried I'll get into legal trouble. If she is, she shouldn't be. I'm not my stupid sister. I can pull this off- if Val lets me_!' she thought. 

Maybe she could persuade Valerie. Just then, knocking sounded on her door and she cursed silently. '_I am so not in the mood for company right now_,' she thought as she tossed the remote onto the couch. She stood, stalked up to the door, unlocked and opened it to find Rick there.

"Hi, Stacy," he said. His tone of voice was odd and his expression was hard to read.

"Rick," she said.

"Val told me about your plan," he said.

She snorted. "And you're here to tell me how insane I am, right?"

"Actually, I'm here to try and help you come up with a way to get the kid," he said, his voice now completely serious. "As you told Valerie, you do owe us... and I intend to collect."

* * *


	20. Chapter 20

_**It was time I updated this story, so, here it is, y'all.**_

_**As always, I appreciate the support- even the unseen support. LOL.**_

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Stacy tilted her head slightly and gave Rick a searching look as she silently wondered if she had heard right. He wanted to _help_ her get the baby? Seriously? "Rick... are you yanking me?" she asked slowly.

He rubbed his chin. "Val really wants to be a mother. Nothing is more important to me than her happiness. You know that."

"I do," she said, nodding. "You two actually make me believe in true love. But Val doesn't wanna do this. She thinks it's crazy and wrong. She doesn't see what an amazing solution it is! I just wanna give you guys the kid you deserve. Not many people would be willing to go to such lengths for their friends."

"You're absolutely right," he agreed.

"I know I am. This is the greatest gift I can give you guys. There's no way I'll get caught," she said confidently.

"You can't know that for sure," he said.

"Huh? Didn't you just say you wanted to help? What-" she was saying.

"I do wanna help, but, there are no guarantees in life. You _could_ get caught. If that happens, I will deny any involvement I had," he said seriously before motioning for her to step aside so he could enter the apartment.

Stacy rolled her eyes as he walked in. "Thanks for believing in me so completely," she said dryly, then, slammed the door closed.

"I'm being realistic," he said.

"You're being a downer," she snapped. "Nobody's gonna get caught. I'm gonna get this baby for Val- and you. Because, yeah, I owe you guys everything. But Rocky owes, too. Hell, look what happened to my sister!"

Rick laughed. "Cut the dramatics, Stacy. You couldn't care less about Cait snapping the way she did."

"You got me there," Stacy admitted. "But I do need to repay you and Val."

"Of course... getting Val to take the baby will be a problem," he said. Then, his eyes widened with horror after his words registered. What the hell was he doing? "Wait a second! I can't do this! I don't know _what_ I was thinking!"

"Rick, don't flip out on me. We-" Stacy began.

"No, Stacy. No. It just hit me all of a sudden that I only said I wanted to help you because I love my wife more than anything in this world. If I go through with this... she'll hate me and I will _lose_ her. Forever," Rick said. He felt totally foolish now. Not to mention embarrassed and guilty. What was the_ matter_ with him? Valerie's happiness definitely meant everything to him, but, he knew he didn't have the heart to take a baby from its parents.

"You won't lose-" Stacy started to say.

"Val is right. This whole thing is crazy- and terrible. I can't believe I even considered..." Rick's voice trailed off and he shook his head, genuinely horrified. He'd rather go his whole life childless than without Valerie.

"I don't _get_ you and your wife," Stacy said, looking at him in amazement.

"I can't go along with this, Stacy, because I'm not insane. Neither is Val," he said.

Neither am I! Jeez! Why can't either of you _try_ to see this for what it really is? I love you guys and want you to have it all. I mean that, Rick," she said passionately.

He opened his mouth to retort until a thought rolled into his brain. His expression changed. Huh. "Say... what's Rocky's last name?"

"DeSantos. Why?" she demanded, frowning.

"That sounds kinda familiar," Rick said, intentionally keeping his tone casual.

"What does it have to do with anything?" she asked in irritation.

"I guess it doesn't. I was just... I don't know. Look, I have to go. You do whatever you want. I still say it's a twisted plan, but, trying to talk you outta something is like pulling teeth," he said, then, walked up to the door, opened it and exited the apartment.

"What the hell is his deal?" she muttered, rolling her eyes.

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Stacy stood outside of Rocky and Katherine's apartment five days later- Thursday evening. She hadn't heard a thing from Rick or Valerie since they'd discovered her plan, but, whatever. She was still determined to get this kid for them. '_I'll just make Rocky and Kat warm up to me... then, take that baby girl outta there. It doesn't matter how I have to go about doing it. I can handle the two of them. Rick and Val will be grateful- eventually. I'm sure of it_,' she thought. The more she thought about this scheme, the better she felt about it.

She took a deep breath and knocked sharply on the door several times. It was time to act her butt off. The door was opened several moments later by Katherine. Stacy grinned widely, then, quickly toned it down a little. No need to raise suspicion right off the bat. "Hi, Kat."

"Hi, Stacy," the blonde said.

Stacy almost blinked. She was a little taken aback because Katherine didn't seem very surprised to see her. '_No need to get all paranoid_,' Stacy told herself. Then, she cleared her throat and began speaking aloud. "You're probably wondering what I'm doing here. Well, I'll be more than happy tell you."

"Why don't you come on in?" Katherine suggested with a seemingly genuine smile, then, stepped aside.

"Are you sure? Because if you'd feel more comfortable just talking right here or even out in the hall, we can do that," Stacy said.

"I've got no reason not to trust you, Stacy. I admit that Rocky and I were pretty uncertain at first, but, you're not to blame for what Cait did," she said.

"You really feel this way?" Stacy asked, more than a little taken aback this time.

"Yeah, I do. Rocky and I don't hold you responsible for anything. So... why don't you come on in?" Katherine said.

Stacy stared at her for a few moments, then, walked into the apartment. "I wanna say, again, how sorry I am about Cait," she said as Katherine closed the door.

"Thank you," Katherine said.

"Anyhow, I'm here because I'd like to get to know you guys. It's crazy, but, I sort of feel like I have to. I know I'm not responsible for what my sister did, but, I just feel like I have to show you and Rocky that not everyone in my family is unbalanced," Stacy said with a light laugh.

"I understand. But, it may take some time. We don't blame you for anything, but, we're not prepared to be friends just yet. You and Cait _do _look almost exactly alike, after all- meaning we need to do a little adjusting," Katherine said with a slight smile.

"Can't blame you for that," Stacy said. "So, where's Rocky and that baby of yours?"

"Rocky's out at the moment, but, Karina's in her nursery. I was just about to get her, actually," Katherine said.

'_This is almost too freaking easy_.' "I'd love to see her. But, if she's sleeping-" Stacy was saying.

"Oh, it's all right. Have a seat," Katherine said, then, turned to exit the room.

Stacy laughed gleefully to herself as she headed over to the couch and plopped down on it. Normally, if something seemed too good to be true, it was. But, she was feeling way too confident about this. '_Rick, Val... parenthood starts today for you guys_.' She'd never been so selfless! '_Now, I see why all those goody-goodies like to lend helping hands so much_.'

Katherine returned a minute later, wearing a huge smile and holding Stacy's reason for "visiting". She took a seat on the couch. "Here she is," she said proudly.

Stacy gasped. "Oh, Kat. She is a beauty! Is she even _real_?"

"I ask myself that all the time," Katherine said with a laugh. The baby cooed.

"She's an angel," Stacy whispered, making sure to wear an awestruck expression.

"Thanks," Katherine said. "Hey, I have to use the bathroom. Would you hold her for me?"

"Hold her? I don't know. That's not... I don't know," Stacy said with what she felt was the perfect amount of hesitance.

"Stacy, it'll only be for a minute. I'm going to the bathroom, not Sweden," Katherine said with a soft laugh.

Stacy stared at the baby for a few seconds, then, sighed deeply and nodded slowly. "Okay."

Katherine smiled and handed Karina over to the other woman, then, stood and headed off. When she vanished from sight, Stacy grinned down at the baby. It was a victorious grin. "You really are a cutie. They'll love you," she said as she stood slowly. She'd won! Like there'd ever been any doubt.

She headed for the door as quickly as she could without running, then, pulled it open. A cruel laugh escaped her lips. "Mommy Katherine's a real idiot, Karina. Time to get you outta here and to your new parents," she told the baby happily. Before she could step forward, a tall man appeared in the doorway. He was wearing a police uniform. What the hell? Stacy looked at him in confusion. "Is there a problem, officer?"

"That's certainly what _I'd_ call it," he said. "Miss, you're under arrest for attempted kidnapping."

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**Endnote**:

_**Zeopurple, I dedicate this chapter to you- since you lit a fire under me, girl. **_


	21. Chapter 21

**_Well, folks, here I am with the LAST installment of this story. I was gonna do another chapter after this one, but, I decided against it. I just feel it's time I concluded this fic. (waits for the tears... just joking)._**

_**Thanks, as always, for the amazing support you all have provided.**_

_**Now, on with the show... .**_

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Stacy gaped at the police officer- whom was looking back at her in disgust- then, she managed to find her voice. "W-what? What are you talking about? Under _arrest_ for- no. No, no, no. This is a mistake. I wasn't kidnapping her. I wasn't. You see, this is my niece and I was just gonna take her-"

"Give it up, Stacy," a male voice said.

She turned to see Rocky, Katherine and... _Rick_? "Rick? What's going on and why are you here? What is this?"

"It's your plan failing, Stacy," he said calmly.

Katherine walked up to her. "Give me my daughter." Stacy- whom was now experiencing many different emotions at once- stared at her for a second, then, handed the baby over to its mother. Katherine glared at Stacy. "Rick contacted us a few days ago and told us everything. You are _far_ worse than your sister."

Stacy glared at Rick, rage filling her. "You set me up. You set me up. You actually joined forces with Kat and Rocky. No wonder you said something about Rocky's name sounding so familiar- which was pure bull. You were just messing with me. I thought we were friends."

"You know who's a good friend? Officer Barnes over there. We go way back. When I told him about your plan, he thought I was kidding. Stacy... there was no way I could let you get away with this," Rick said.

"You're unbelievable," Rocky told her, shaking his head.

Stacy was shaking with fury. "All of you can go straight to hell!" she yelled- causing the baby to cry.

"All right. Enough's enough. Time to go, miss," Barnes said, producing his handcuffs. "You're under arrest for the attempted kidnapping of Karina DeSantos. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney..."

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"I'm telling ya, ballerina, if any more of Cait's nutbag relatives decide to make an appearance, we're moving to Canada," Rocky said later that night. The baby was sleeping while Rocky and Katherine sat on the sofa.

His wife laughed. "You won't be getting an argument from me." Then, she sighed. "I don't know what I would've done if she _had_ managed to get away with it, Rocky. She really could have stolen our baby. Our little girl."

"I know," Rocky said, pulling her close to him. "I can't even _think_ about what I'd have done if she'd... . But we stopped her. We stopped that freak and our daughter is where she belongs."

"Yes, she is," Katherine agreed.

"This is gonna sound kind of crazy, but, I'm actually grateful to Cait and Stacy, in a way," Rocky said. Katherine gave him a questioning look. "It's just that- okay, sure, they almost wrecked us. But, I think we're gonna be stronger for it."

"I think you're right," she said, kissing him lightly on the lips. "I think you're right."

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"You look... _wow_," Rocky said.

"Glad you approve," Katherine said, grinning.

It was the first Saturday in November and also their first wedding anniversary. Rocky's parents had agreed to watch nearly seven-month-old Karina overnight so Rocky and Katherine could have the weekend to themselves. Anyhow, the happy couple was about to head to a restaurant for dinner. They'd exchanged gifts during breakfast.

"Definitely approve," he said.

"Well, you look _wow_, too," she told him.

"Thanks. I have to look _wow_, though. Who else is gonna make all the ladies faint?" he said, grinning.

"They can look, but, no touching because you're taken, Mr. DeSantos," she said as they headed for the front door.

"And I couldn't be happier about that," he said seriously. They stopped to share a long, loving kiss.

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**(Five Years Later)**

"Mommy! Are we getting my new swing set today? Are we?" Karina DeSantos asked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Katherine laughed. "Not today, sweetie. We have to get all moved in first." They were standing in the backyard of the house Katherine- whom'd been running a ballet studio for the past couple years- and Rocky had bought while Rocky, Adam, Jason, Zack, Tommy and Billy did the unloading and moving.

"This house is sooooo big! Are we gonna live here forever and ever and ever?" Karina asked with wide eyes.

"I hope so. Your father and I think that this is the perfect house for you and your little brother to grow up in," Katherine said. She was six months pregnant with her and Rocky's son.

"Is he kicking again?" Karina asked before placing her hand on her mother's belly. She giggled happily when the baby began kicking eagerly. "I can't wait til the baby's born so I can play with him! Can I have another doll?"

"Karina, I just bought you a doll," her mother told her. "You don't need another one right now."

"But I want lots and lots so I can have the biggest tea parties!" the little girl said before spinning around happily.

"Karina," Katherine said in a gentle but firm tone.

Karina stopped spinning and pouted, then, her eyes lit up again. "Mommy, can we get a pool?"

"Your father and I talked about getting one- but, not right away," Katherine responded.

"Yay!" Karina cheered. Then, she grabbed her mother's hand. "Let's go back to the front!"

Katherine allowed her energetic daughter to lead her away. When they reached the front yard, Katherine noticed a moving truck in front of the house to the right of them. Rocky- whom had just exited their house- walked over to his wife and daughter and scooped his little girl up in his arms.

"So, we're not the only new neighbors, I see," Katherine said.

"Yeah. Whoever it is has expensive taste. How great and convenient would it be to have a doctor right next door?" Rocky said- causing Katherine to laugh.

"Daddy, are you still gonna buy me a puppy?" Karina asked.

"Yeah, I am, Munchkin," he said, smiling at her.

'_He'd try to buy her a country if she wanted one_,' Katherine thought, rolling her eyes and smiling. She wasn't the least bit surprised that Karina had Rocky wrapped around her finger.

"I'm thirsty. May I have something to drink, please?" Karina asked.

"As long as it's caffeine-free," Katherine said in a low voice- causing Rocky to snicker. Then, she smiled at their daughter. "Of course, baby."

"Why don't you go into the house and ask one of your uncles to give you some water?" Rocky said to the little girl as he deposited her on the ground.

"Okay, Daddy," she said, then, turned and hurried away.

Katherine took both Rocky's hands in hers and smiled. "Do you mind hearing me go on about how much I love this house- again?"

He laughed. "Feel free, Zeo One."

"It's so beautiful, Rocky. It's a wonderful place to raise our family and grow old and senile," she said.

"That's exactly how I feel," he said before leaning in and pressing his lips to hers.

"Oh, _no_!" a female voice exclaimed.

The DeSantos couple broke the kiss and looked to see Mrs. Smythe standing a few feet away- staring at them, open-mouthed. Mrs. Smythe. The uptight neighbor from the apartment building. The one they seemed to annoy without even trying. Rocky and Katherine exchanged surprised glances.

"I want you two to tell me that you will _not_ be living next door to me," Mrs. Smythe said, placing her hands on her hips.

"I'm afraid we can't do that, Mrs. Smythe," Rocky said. '_Mrs. Smythe. Talk about a small_ _world_.'

The woman's face turned an amusing shade of red, then, she noticed Katherine's condition and gasped. "You're going to have a baby. A baby. This is just unreal. I can't even- when I think- it's not- why did this- I don't- you two- and..._ accck_." Then, she turned and stomped off.

Katherine looked at Rocky and he grinned.

"This is gonna be so much fun," he said. She laughed, then, they turned, took each others' hand and headed up to their new house.

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**Endnotes:**

_**And that's the end. I added the Mrs. Smythe thing 'cause I thought it'd be kind of funny. LOL. Thanks again for the support. This was one of my favorite stories to write. Diva out.**_


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